Youthprise

YOUTHPRISE (THE ORGANIZATION) IS A MINNESOTA NOT-FOR-PROFIT 501(C)(3) CORPORATION ESTABLISHED IN 2010 BY THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION. YOUTHPRISE IS A YOUTH-CENTERED PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION THAT INVESTS IN THE FUTURE OF MINNESOTA BY INVESTING IN YOUTH. OUR MISSION IS TO INCREASE EQUITY WITH AND FOR MINNESOTA'S INDIGENOUS, LOW-INCOME, AND RACIALLY DIVERSE YOUTH. WE ENVISION A MINNESOTA WHERE OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH ARE NO LONGER PREDICTABLE BY RACE, GEOGRAPHY, OR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. WE STRATEGICALLY COMBINE FUNDING, CAPACITY BUILDING, POLICY ADVOCACY, AND RESEARCH, AND AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR GOVERNANCE AND OPERATIONS.

BUILDING POWER THROUGH LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP: WE INVEST IN LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT BUILD KNOWLEDGE, POWER, AND AGENCY AMONG OUR YOUTH; WE SUPPORT AND AMPLIFY YOUTH AS LEADERS BY BUILDING NETWORKS, DEVELOPMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND SHIFTING POLICY/LAWS. YOUTHPRISE PROMOTES THE LEARNING, LEADERSHIP, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUTH. PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES SUPPORTED IN THIS AREA EXPOSE YOUTH TO ARTS AND CULTURE, ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. WE SEEK TO SHIFT HOW PROGRAMS INTERACT WITH YOUTH AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGE YOUTH IN LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE, A PRACTICE WE MODEL AT YOUTHPRISE. WE EMBED YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS ALL AREAS OF OUR ORGANIZATION, AND WE HAVE A GOAL OF 50% REPRESENTATION OF YOUTH ON OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. IN 2023, THE MINNESOTA AFTERSCHOOL ADVANCE (MAA) PROGRAM CONTINUED WITH A STRONG IMPACT, PROVIDING 119 COMPUTERS FOR DISTANCE LEARNING AND ADVANCING $603,840.61 TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES ACROSS MINNESOTA TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES. YOUTHPRISE ALSO MADE INVESTMENTS IN YOUTH PHILANTHROPY AND YOUTH PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH (YPAR), WHICH INCLUDED $65,000 INVESTED IN LEARNING, TRAINING, AND EVALUATION; AND $9,000 IN STIPENDS TO YOUNG PEOPLE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN YPAR ACTIVITIES. IN 2023, YOUTHPRISE INVESTED $601,019 IN LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP GRANTS AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS.

PROMOTING HEALING THROUGH HEALTH AND SAFETY: YOUTHPRISE SUPPORTS PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT PROMOTE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF YOUNG PEOPLE. WE CHAMPION WORK THAT PROMOTES THE HEALING OF OUR YOUTH AND THEIR RIGHT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY. IN ADDITION TO MEETING BASIC FOOD NEEDS THROUGH OUR NUTRITION PROGRAM, WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO LINK HEALTHY LIFESTYLES WITH GOOD NUTRITION. WE TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AND ADVANCE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES THAT PREVENT THE CRIMINALIZATION OF YOUTH, WHICH CAN POSE A THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. IN 2023, YOUTHPRISE SUPPORTED 44 NUTRITION SITES ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES AND SERVED OVER 227,822 MEALS AND SNACKS TO SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN AND YOUTH. ADDITIONALLY, WE SUPPORTED INITIATIVES THAT SEEK TO INCREASE EQUITY IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM BY SUPPORTING BASIC NEEDS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN JUSTICE-INVOLVED AND THROUGH OTHER INITIATIVES. IN 2023, YOUTHPRISE INVESTED $992,749 IN GRANTS AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS.

ADVANCING OWNERSHIP & WEALTH THROUGH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY: YOUTHPRISE CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY BY SUPPORTING PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT BUILD WORKFORCE SKILLS, PROMOTE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND EXPOSE YOUTH TO CAREER PATHWAYS. YOUTHPRISE WORKS WITH STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS SECTORS TO EQUIP YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE ECONOMIC TOOLS TO THRIVE. IN 2023, YOUTHPRISE AWARDED GRANTS TO COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CAREER PATHWAYS IN HIGH-DEMAND INDUSTRIES SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AUTOMOTIVE, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE TWIN CITIES AND GREATER MINNESOTA COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING NORTHFIELD, DULUTH, MANKATO, AND SAUK RAPIDS. IN 2023, YOUTHPRISE INVESTED $748,082 IN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY GRANTS AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS.