Eight Local Nonprofits Receive Grants from the Watertown Area Community Foundation Youth Council

The Watertown Area Community Foundation Youth Council has awarded its 2024 grants to area youth-serving organizations.

 

Organizations receiving grants are:

• Beacon Center – $592.73 for toys in two family visitation rooms and car seats for transporting children.

• Community Transit of Watertown/Sisseton, Inc. – $2,000 to help with “Dawg Dayz of Summer” youth transportation program.

• East-Central CASA – $1,022 to support children and families at the closure of their court case.

• Goss Opera House – $2,000 for the Passport to the Arts theater program.

• Joy Ranch of South Dakota – $1,662 to purchase Sioux tipis for culturally-based camp initiatives.

• Prairie Lakes Healthcare Foundation – $788.38 for activities for children in speech therapy services.

• Watertown Area PACH – $2,000 for weekly food distribution for disadvantaged children.

• Watertown Cares – $2,000 for new pillows and a deep freeze for housing shelter residents to use.

 

The Youth Council promotes leadership and philanthropy among young people. Current Youth Council members are Hannah Herzog, Carter Schmidt, and Lucy Walker, seniors; Josie Althoff, Isabella Horning, and Halle Olson, juniors.

Members visit several local non-profit organizations, host discussions with community leaders, and practice professionalism through the grant-making process.

“I have met some pretty incredible community members during my time on the Youth Council,” shared senior member Carter Schmidt. “I also learned more about opportunities available for kids of all ages in our town. There are so many!”

As part of their process, members perform a community SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis each year and utilize the results to determine the most pressing needs when awarding grants to area youth-serving organizations.

“Being a member of the Foundation’s Youth Council has been an unforgettable experience that has helped me gain more information, a wider perspective, and greater appreciation for my community,” remarked Lucy Walker a senior member of the council.

The Foundation’s Youth Council began in 2001 and has awarded more than $162,000 in grants to local youth-serving organizations. More than 60 students have served on the council.

 

Current Youth Council members are (L to R): Carter Schmidt, Hannah Herzog, Lucy Walker, Josie Althoff, Isabella Horning, and Halle Olson