Inspired by the success of the other local giving circles, a group of local high school students is leading the charge to bring the same spirit of philanthropy to their peers.
Teens Who Care St. Petersburg will hold its inaugural meeting Jan. 30. The newly-formed organization, modeled after the established 100 Women Who Care, will use the same model of collaborative giving to support local charities. At a quarterly meeting, teens who join will each make a donation, pooling their resources to give grants to one of three nonprofits that “pitch” their cause to the teens in attendance. After hearing three five-minute presentations, the teens then vote for the nonprofit they found most impactful, which wins the pool of money the teens donated at the event.
“My mom has been involved with 100 Women Who Care for a couple of years, so I’ve seen it get bigger and bigger, and that was really inspiring to me,” said Kyra Galvin, President of Teens Who Care St. Petersburg.
“The 100 Women Who Care has really taken off and gained a lot of popularity,” Simi Damani, Vice President of Teens Who Care St. Petersburg, agreed. “With the momentum, we think this is the perfect time to start the teens version.”
Unlike its adult counterpart, which asks members to donate $100, Teens Who Care St. Petersburg will require a more modest $25 financial commitment from its members. The group has also formed a leadership board with students from the largest high schools in St. Pete.
“The whole point of having everyone from different schools represented in our board is so that we can spread the word throughout the city,” Damani added.
Galvin, a senior at St. Petersburg High School, and Damani, a junior at Shorecrest Preparatory Academy, are excited about the potential impact of their organization. They’ve already received applications from a handful of local nonprofits to present at the first meeting. The teens plan to focus on supporting unique, lesser-funded causes.
Beyond the financial aspect, both Galvin and Damani see Teens Who Care as a platform for community building.
“There are not many service organizations that are inclusive to everyone; girls, boys, and from any high school,” Galvin noted.
“We are hoping that the teens will also get something extra out of it, because it will lead them to other service opportunities,” Damani said. “So in addition to the money that the nonprofits will get, they’ll also get volunteers.”
The teens also noted that, unlike other service opportunities that can sometimes come with larger time commitments, the Teens Who Care St. Petersburg meeting is only held a few times a year. This gives local youth service hours (which they often need to accrue for college admissions or scholarship requirements) without needing to carve out extensive volunteer time, week after week.
As they prepare for their first meeting, the group’s leaders are actively recruiting members through various channels, including school service clubs and social media. High school students in the greater St. Petersburg area can sign up online here or join by simply showing up at the first meeting. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at the St. Petersburg Woman’s Club, 40 Snell Isle Blvd. NE.
Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations can apply to present at the first meeting here. The application remains open until the first 10 applicant slots are filled.
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