Local Programs:

Social Justice Education Project
The Social Justice Education Project (SJEP) is a two-year (four semester) student-led and mentor-facilitated critical research project of the University of Arizona’s Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology (BARA) and the Mexican American Studies & Research Center (MASRC). The program, in partnership with the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American/Raza Studies Department, aims to empower students, particularly low-income Latina/o youth, by giving them the skills and opportunities to have a voice in social change, community development and educational policy and practice. Visit the SJEP website at http://socialjusticeproject.org.

Greater Tucson Youth Leadership Program (www.volunteertucson.org): GTYLP is a yearlong leadership program consisting of a Youth Leadership Institute and a Youth Philanthropy & Boardsmanship Institute. The program works to inform, educate, influence, re-direct and create new leaders from a diverse cross-section of middle and high school students in Tucson. Participants explore community issues, learn about philanthropy and social change, make grants to community organizations, and receive training to prepare them to serve on nonprofit boards.

Every Voice in Action Youth Crew(www.everyvoicefoundation.org): Every Voice in Action’s Youth Crew (the Crew) works with staff to examine issues affecting youth in Tucson, and make decisions about how to invest grant funds.  Staff also counts on this group of high school and college-aged youth to provide expertise and insights about being a young person today.  About fifteen members are currently active in the Crew during the school year. 

Unidas (www.womengiving.org): The goals of Unidas are two-fold:  to foster a new generation of strong female philanthropic leaders who will contribute their time, talent and financial resources to benefit their communities; and to create a model for a young women’s philanthropy program that can be replicated by other women’s funding organizations and nonprofits.  The program includes 15-20 high school aged young women in the Greater Tucson area.  Unidas participants will research and analyze the issues facing girls in their communities, create and document grant criteria and processes, request proposals, and allocate funds according to their identified priorities.

YWCA It’s Time to Talk Racial Justice Program ( www.ywcatucson.org): The YWCA’s It’s Time to Talk Tucson program provides the community with opportunities to engage in facilitated dialogues and cross-cultural exchanges around the issue of racism.  During the program’s annual Youth Forum, more than 500 local youth come together to learn about and discuss issues of discrimination. The forum provides an impetus for youth to initiate on-going discussions and diversity-related activities at their schools and in the community. Following the Youth Forum, the YWCA will conduct a grant round, through which a Small Grants Program (made up of youth) will award small grants to youth-led programs (school- and/or community-based) that implement anti-prejudice and pro-diversity projects. 

National Programs:

Charity Checks(www.charity-checks.us ): Charity Checks' "giving certificates" allow consumers to shop from home, save on taxes and give a present that’s redeemable as a donation to any of 800,000 IRS-qualified charities across the country. Here’s how it works: Say you decide to order CHARITY CHECKS for ten friends, and you want to give each one a $50 "giving certificate." You get a $500 tax deduction and each of your friends receives $50 to give to his or her favorite cause.

YouthNOISE – Just-1-Click Fund(http://www.youthnoise.com): By simply clicking on a link at the YouthNOISE website, you donate one penny to a cause chosen by YouthNOISE members. YouthNOISE just gave $1,000 to the Center for Youth Development and Activities Homelessness Project by getting over 100,000 clicks! Becoming a member of YouthNOISE is free and easy, and you can help choose where next month’s “Just-1-Click” fund will go.

YOUTH NOISE's Raise It and Donate It Toolkit ( http://www.youthnoise.com): This page is designed to give you practical advice from other young people who've been in the fundraising trenches. There are no lectures, just step-by-step information and easy to use resources. The toolkit includes directions for choosing types of fundraisers, making “asks,” applying for grants, and most importantly, information on how to strategically donate the money you’ve raised.