Youth Programs Fund of the Bob Vogel Endowment

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The PYM Youth Programs Fund is administered by the PYM Youth Programs Coordinating Committee (YPCC). The money for this fund comes from interest earned on the Bob Vogel Endowment. See the History section on this page for more information about the Endowment and how it relates to the YP Fund. We welcome donations to the Fund as well as to the principal of the Endowment.

The Youth Programs Fund supports projects or activities that develop the PYM community to support youth, develop Quaker youth in community, develop Quaker youth as individuals, and/or strengthen Quaker faith and practice in PYM’s intergenerational community. For event or idea inspiration, please visit our new blog of past projects funded!

Applications to the Youth Programs Fund are considered on a rolling basis.

HOW TO APPLY

  • Small grant applications can begin through this form! (<$250.00)
  • Download/Print the Application Form & Policy for the YP Fund (of the Vogel Endowment) – version 7/8/18 (PDF)
    • Read the full application and policy. Copy/paste or type ALL of the application questions into a new document and submit as an email attachment (preferred) or hard copy. One or two pages should suffice.
    • We can provide a budget template for your convenience.
    • Send completed applications (or requests for help doing the application) to the Youth Programs Coordinating Committee: pym-ypc[at]googlegroups.com 
    • The YPC Committee will do its best to have funding decisions and responses within a month following the application deadline.
  • Contact us
    • We can help you prepare your application, including discussion of emerging ideas before-hand.
    • We also offer non-monetary support, such as consultation, outreach, resources, and referrals.

FUND POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

  • The YPCC wants you to apply! Please contact us in advance for help preparing your application. See the ‘How to Apply’ section on this page for details.
    • We can provide a budget template for your convenience.
  • Some things we don’t fund, or not usually, with some caveats:
    • Not intended primarily for scholarships, or for attendance or travel assistance. However, if other funding is not available (such as from your local meeting), please apply.
    • We generally don’t fund projects to improve or benefit an individual’s private property, but service projects that help organizations or communities are very much encouraged.
    • Salaries, wages, benefits, contract rates. We have, however, funded some projects that include reasonable and necessary stipends or compensation. In such cases, the fiscal sponsor shall be responsible for administering any taxes and tax reporting for any stipends or payments to individuals that are not reimbursements, and for determining whether the person being compensated is an employee or contractor.
    • Applications to retroactively fund projects that have already taken place will not ordinarily be considered.
  • Scope:
    • Chosen projects are clearly aligned with the funding goals as stated in the application, with all questions answered satisfactorily.
    • The YPCC accepts applications from individuals and organizations.
      • Having a fiscal sponsor to receive and manage the grant and provide oversight and accountability is welcome and encouraged. For certain projects, we may require a fiscal sponsor. Please ask us in advance.
      • Applications for group activities should be clear as to whether the event is open to anyone who is interested or to a select group. Preference is given to applications for activities that are open, welcoming, and inclusive within the stated goals of the fund.
    • The YPCC also occasionally initiates its own internal projects or acts as a co-sponsor.
    • The YPCC generally focuses these funds on on new programs, new outreach, new connections, and novel experiments rather than being a long-term funding source for ongoing programs. The YP Fund is not intended as a substitute for Meeting or other institutional fundraising or general operating expenses.
      • For projects that the YPCC sponsors or co-sponsors, seed funding may continue, at the discretion of the YPCC, until such time as the project can flourish on its own.
    • Although the YP Fund usually funds Quaker-specific activities, YPCC will consider funding other leadings, including social/environmental actions that are in alignment with Friends’ values and the Youth Programs Coordinating Committee’s Goals and Objectives (see Goals & Objectives document on Youth Programs Coordinating Committee (YPCC) page.
    • We especially invite proposals by young Friends who have some kind of spiritual anchoring support in place and who are willing to report back to YPCC/PYM/their Meeting; support can range from being connected with a small group of 2+ Friends to having a formal support or anchor committee. The YPC Committee is available to help applicants find such support and connection to others.
      • The YPCC and M&O will determine how such a leading might interrelate with the PYM Leadings Fund that is under the care of M&O.
  • Safety and Respect:
    • Approved applications demonstrate attention to the safety — e.g., physical, mental, emotional, cultural, legal safety — and respect for everyone involved as well as the host sites.
    • Applications for projects and trips not covered by PYM’s insurance should demonstrate adequate insurance coverage.
  • Minors:
    • All projects involving minors (ages 17 and under) directly or tangentially under the care of PYM must follow the PYM Child Abuse Prevention Policy (see in Youth tab on the website’s menu), including parental permissions, supervision, no one-on-one adult and minor out of sight of the group, background and reference checks, etc.). Projects under a fiscal sponsor other than PYM must also agree to adhere to the basic principles of the Child Abuse Prevention Policy, although the fiscal sponsor takes on the liability. The YPCC can help applicants get set up to meet these, but ultimate responsibility for compliance rests with the project/event leader, grant applicant, and/or sponsoring organization.
    • Minors attending without a parent/guardian should have a Sponsor, as defined in the Child Abuse Prevention Policy, except in cases such as camps organized specifically for minors that have other safeguards and supports in place.
  • Travel and travel budget stipulations:
    • Timeliness: Airline tickets should be purchased 30 days in advance, and registrations and lodging reservations should be made early to take advantage of lower rates, except in extraordinary circumstances.
    • Mileage reimbursement rates are equivalent to PYM’s rate for volunteers (currently 25 cents/mile).
    • Participants who rent vehicles should purchase the car rental insurance offered by the rental company.
    • All drivers must be properly licensed and insured, and all riders must use seatbelts.
    • Budgets for travel should include travel insurance with adequate coverage, particularly for international travel.
      • Participants (or the organizer on behalf of each traveler) should purchase travel insurance that at least includes medical, accidental death, and evacuation coverage (or the organizers can buy the insurance for the whole group, which might be more cost-effective) to be paid or reimbursed by the grant funds. The project leaders should keep copies of the policy/ies for each person on hand during the entire trip. We don’t recommend buying the insurance that the airlines offer, as their coverage is usually minimal and more costly. One company that has had affordable options in the past is www.insuremytrip.com
  • Payment, Funds Management, and Reporting: If your application is approved, YPCC will either ask the PYM Treasurer to send a check to you or your fiscal sponsor. Depending on the particular situation, this might be done as a reimbursement or an advance. We ask you to please communicate with your designated YPCC contact person, and NOT the Treasurer.
    • Please report on your itemized use of the funds within 30 days after the event. We can provide a budget vs actuals template for your convenience.
    • If you are awarded an advance (rather than a reimbursement) and there are leftover funds, unless otherwise agreed upon, YPCC asks you to return them to the Youth Programs Fund by notifying us by email and sending a check to the PYM Treasurer with Memo: “Reimbursement to the YP Fund of unused portion of Grant #xxxx-xx”.
    • We urge you to send us an informal report about the outcomes and value of this activity once you have completed it. Please also let us know afterward of any ways you are sharing the fruits of the experience, such as with newsletter or magazine articles, or social media posts.
  • This is not necessarily a complete list of requirements. The YPCC reserves the right to approve or deny any application at the full discretion of the YPCC.
  • See the ‘history and use’ section and the application form for more info, in particular the minutes quoted therein as pertain to the restrictions on the use of the original gift that established the Bob Vogel Endowment.

EXAMPLE PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES

The application requires that proposals fit one or more of the YPCC’s Goals:

  • Develop the PYM community to support youth
  • Develop Quaker youth in community
  • Develop Quaker youth as individuals
  • Strengthen Quaker faith and practice in PYM’s intergenerational community

1) Small grants: for example, for travel, registration, lodging, augmentations to a scholarship fundIndividuals and small groups without access to other financial assistance have used the YP Fund to participate in events such as camps (as counselors as well as campers), Quaker Center workshops, Pendle Hill workshops, White Privilege Conference, Western Young Friends New Year’s Gathering, California Indian Conference, El Salvador Service Learning Trip, Quaker Earthcare Witness, Mystics Retreat; for intervisitation between Quarterly Meetings and Yearly Meetings (including CPQM, SCQM, Intermountain YM, Australia YM, Pacific YM, and Reunion General de los Amigos en Mexico); for young adults to organize retreats before Annual Session and workshops (e.g., clerking, leadership, AVP, couple enrichment); as seed funding (e.g., Summer Peace Garden & Documentary Film workshop at Quaker Oaks Farm); and to take action (FCNL Youth Lobby Day, School of the Americas Watch in Nogales, Selective Service hearings testimony, racial justice trainings for Pacific YM Friends such as the “Right Relationships with Native Americans” workshop); and to provide resources for spiritual accompaniment (eldering).

Budgets for these types of grants typically include only one or a few items: registration fee, cost of ticket or mileage, travel insurance, food/lodging if not included in registration. Typically the attendee pays a portion of the full costs or for certain items (e.g., pays for own food but gets a grant for the travel), but applications for full coverage are welcome.

2) Larger type of grant: for example, for a complex project, or a large group trip
Spring Youth Service-Learning Camp with Quaker Oaks Farm (QOF) and the Wukchumni Tribe:
Spring Camp brings together Native and non-Native, Quaker and non-Quaker, youth and adults, creating relationships with each other and with the Land. This project began as a convergence of Bill Lovett’s vision of youth of many cultures gathering at his beloved Quaker Oaks Farm in Visalia, CA, a commitment by the YPCC help make Bill’s vision a reality, the Wukchumni Tribe’s relationship with their ancestral Sacred Land and willingness to partner with Friends while staying focused on their own cultural resiliency, and the now-nonprofit Quaker Oaks Farm organization’s mission “to support and strengthen our community by providing a learning environment for acceptance and tolerance, an appreciation of our many local cultures, and the stewardship of our shared land.” Members of the Wukchumni Tribe, Visalia Friends Meeting, Visalia Unitarians, and others serve on the QOF Board.

Expense budget for the camp (only partially subsidized by the YP Fund grant) includes materials, supplies, field trip transportation, contribution for the use of meetinghouse and utilities, overhead costs, food, cooks, and cultural and technical facilitators, and lots of in-kind volunteer time.

Income: Campers pay on a sliding scale / pay-as-led model. YPCC has provided both financial and people-power to develop and sustain Spring Camp, contributing $3,000-$4,000 nearly every year from the Youth Programs Fund to supplement camper fees and donations, as well as work time by YPCC members in planning, participating, and bringing in interested Quaker youth from afar.

The YPCC intends to continue as co-sponsor of Spring Camp into the indefinite future; it’s a particularly special relationship in part because of the legacy of the YP Fund and Bob Vogel Endowment being put into the YPCC’s care after PFOS decided to lay down itself and the gave up the dream of a permanent site for PYM at QOF. Much of that money came to PFOS –and thus to the YPCC— as a donation from one Friend who was inspired to contribute a large sum after visiting the Farm and hearing Bill Lovett’s vision.
quakeroaksfarm.org/portfolio-items/spring-service-learning-camp/

FUNDED PROJECTS, INCOME & EXPENSES – SUMMARY

YP Fund Reports:
Summary List of Projects funded by the Youth Programs Fund, and Income & Expenses (opens in new tab as a view-only Google Spreadsheet)
See also: YPC Committee Reports to PYM Annual Session and Representative Committee.

Bob Vogel Endowment Reports:
Interest from the Bob Vogel Endowment is deposited into the YP Fund by the Treasurer twice a year (June and December) for use at the full discretion of the YPC Committee. The endowment is invested in the Friends Fiduciary Quaker Green Fund and managed by PYM’s Finance Committee on behalf of the YPCC. Reports on the Bob Vogel Endowment are included in the PYM Treasurer’s Reports to to PYM Annual Session and Representative Committee.

HISTORY AND USE OF THE YP FUND AND BOB VOGEL ENDOWMENT

Interest from the Bob Vogel Endowment has filled our “Youth Programs Fund” with approximately $8,000 of interest twice a year (in this recent economy), giving the YPCC financial resources to support a variety of ministries, leadings, and skill development. Since inception in 2014 through early 2019, the Youth Programs Fund awarded over $74,000 of its $81,000+ interest earnings for a wide variety of activities and projects.

The generous gift that created the PYM Bob Vogel Endowment and thereby the “Youth Programs Fund” in 2013 is proving itself to be essential in creating the conditions for a vibrant, diverse, intergenerational PYM community. In 2013, PYM and the YPCC accepted this gift of money from Pacific Friends Outreach Society (PFOS) when it laid itself down and offered its holdings to be known as the “Bob Vogel Endowment” to be used at the discretion of the YPCC.

Thus the “Youth Programs Fund” was born, receiving interest from the Endowment. The YPCC uses this to fund internal initiatives of the committee as well as selected proposals from external applicants.

PFOS asked that the endowment be named after Friend Bob Vogel, in honor of his lifelong work for peace and justice, commitment to young people, and service to PYM and f/Friends widely.

Another important piece of this legacy is that much of that money came to PFOS –and thus to the YPCC— as a donation from one Friend who was inspired to contribute a large sum after visiting Quaker Oaks Farm (Visalia, CA) and hearing Bill Lovett’s vision of a place for Friends and people of all cultures to gather. When PFOS decided to lay itself down and gave up its dream of a permanent site for PYM at Quaker Oaks Farm, it entrusted the YPCC to carry on the vision.

From the “Statement of Purpose for Use of Funds from the Bob Vogel Endowment,” as amended and accepted by Annual Session 2013, presented by an ad-hoc committee comprising the clerks of the Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee, Pacific Friends Outreach Society, and PYM Finance Committee:

“Consistent with the terms of the [PFOS] gift, requests to spend funds will be managed and approved by PYM’s Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee (YPCSC) [now known as the Youth Programs Coordinating Committee, as of Annual Session 2014], or another appropriate committee to be determined by PYM in the case that the YPCSC is laid down. The financial aspects of this gift (such as investments and accounting) will be managed by PYM’s Finance Committee and Treasurer. The YPCSC will use these funds to foster faith and fellowship among PYM Friends. The YPCSC will give funding preference to projects that involve youth, particularly projects of an intergenerational nature. PYM will engage in an ongoing visioning process to develop ideas for strengthening our intergenerational community; the YPCSC will direct funds towards helping PYM realize our collective vision. Funded activities may take place throughout PYM, its Quarterly and Monthly Meetings, and Quaker organizations. While funds may not be used for the Youth Program Coordinator’s salary, funds may be used to provide financial support for Friends to facilitate or join in activities conducted or promoted by PYM’s Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee.”

See also the minutes of Plenary V of Annual Session 2013, in which PYM accepted the Bob Vogel Endowment from PFOS:
https://www.pacificyearlymeeting.org/2013/pym-docs/pym-2013-annual-session-plenary-v/

Minute from the Board of Pacific Friends Outreach Society (PFOS), 2013:

“The [PFOS] Board minutes its decision to offer the assets of Pacific Friends Outreach Society, that remain after expenses are paid, to Pacific Yearly Meeting as an endowment to be known as “The Bob Vogel Endowment.” The income from the fund is to be used as determined by the Pacific Yearly Meeting committee, Youth Program Coordinator Supervisory Committee (the “YPCSC”), or a successor committee, with the exception that it cannot be used for salary or wages. If compliance with this restriction becomes impossible for the Pacific Yearly Meeting, the “Bob Vogel Endowment” fund will pass to a successor organization to be determined by the board at the time of the final execution of the transfer of assets. The successor organization must also meet the eligibility requirements under the Pacific Friends Outreach Society to receive an asset distribution. The use of the income from the endowment will be restricted to programs that support Quaker youth.