“As I learned of all of the problems affecting youth my age in Boulder County, my perspective changed.”
By David Hirschhorn
In June of 2015, I had just graduated from Summit Middle School. I wanted to spend my summer relaxing, playing video games, playing basketball, and hanging out with my friends. So on one of the early days of my summer when my parents, active members with Community Foundation Boulder County, informed me of the 15 Forever Youth Board, I had no clue what to expect. I didn’t know what the grantmaking process was, what makes a good nonprofit and I had never served as a member of a board.
I reluctantly filled out the application. While I didn’t know it then, joining 15 Forever would turn out to be a great decision. I arrived at the Spruce Street Mansion on a September afternoon still wondering what to expect from the program.
I sat through my first two-hour meeting, as I met some of the other board members and learned a little more about the needs of Boulder County. As I continued to attend meetings, I learned more and more about the problems facing the youth of Boulder County.
As a member of the board, I began to truly see how lucky I was to be born into the circumstances I’m in. I have two loving parents, a big house to live in, a great group of friends, and the opportunity to go to school each day to further my education. I had taken all of that for granted before. As I learned of all of the problems affecting youth my age in Boulder County, my perspective changed.
This was the first positive benefit 15 Forever provided me. I developed a greater appreciation for my fortunate situation.
As the year progressed, the board began to develop a funding focus. Our focus was mental health and suicide prevention. Each member of the board individually evaluated the nonprofits’ proposals. Then, as a group, we had a lengthy discussion in which we finalized which nonprofits we were going to give money to, and how much money we would give to each nonprofit.
Then in May, we held a ceremony in which we, the board members, announced which charities we were funding and the amount of funding each charity would receive. This was one of the best parts of the year. I had the privilege of announcing and handing the money to one of the leaders of a nonprofit to which we were donating.
It was awesome to see the faces on the recipients of our grants. They were incredibly excited and thankful. It was rewarding to see our hard work in action and that the nonprofits were so passionate about their work and what they would do with the funds.
Luckily, I was able to return to the board for my second and third years. I furthered my understanding of the grantmaking process. I developed a greater sense of how to evaluate the needs of a community and determine what nonprofits would best use our funds.
As I enter my senior year of high school, I am a much more caring person than the person who originally applied for the program. I now appreciate my situation more, and I feel a greater sense to serve my community and to help others who are less fortunate than I am.
I will be serving as a member of the 15 Forever Youth Board for my fourth and final time this year. I will be sad that my time as a Youth Board member is ending, but I am incredibly grateful for the positive benefits with which 15 Forever has provided me.
Since 2006, the Community Foundation’s 15 Forever program promotes civic engagement and leadership among Boulder County youth. Earlier this month, the foundation announced that YouthRoots was chosen to run the program.
