Youth Making Change (YMC) is a teen-led grant-making program that provides young people with the opportunity to engage directly in organized philanthropy.
There are two YMC Boards — one meets in Santa Maria and the other in Santa Barbara — and both are led by teens, ages 13-19. Each board gives out $15,000 per year in grants to youth-led projects that impact young people in Santa Barbara County. They create and conduct an entire grant cycle and then share with their communities what they learned as grant-makers and philanthropists. Each YMC board is led by two Youth Facilitators, each a previous YMC board member. Facilitators assist the board in meeting their objectives by providing an experienced perspective on the grant-making process. Since 2008, YMC has awarded more than $350,000 to over 165 youth-led groups throughout Santa Barbara County.