News from Rose Community Foundation

December 12, 2007
News Media Contact: Phil Nash 303.398.7444

Teens Chosen for Rose Youth Foundation’s Seventh Year

Denver, CO - Twenty-three Jewish youth in grades 9 through 12 have been selected as members of Rose Youth Foundation, including nine returning members from last year. Now beginning its seventh year, Rose Youth Foundation is a grantmaking initiative of Rose Community Foundation to teach youth about philanthropy, as well as to provide the Foundation with the unique perspectives of young people on the needs and challenges of the Jewish community. Rose Youth Foundation includes teens representing 13 Denver-area schools and seven municipalities. They also represent a broad spectrum of Judaism, describing themselves as Orthodox, Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative and secular Jews.

From November 2007 through May 2008, the youth will explore Jewish philanthropic concepts, establish funding priorities, develop grant guidelines, conduct site visits, and decide how to grant $50,000. “The beauty of Rose Youth Foundation is that it’s all up to us. We can decide what our priorities are and where the money is granted,” says second-year member Sarah Zapiler, a senior at George Washington High School. Launched in 2001, Rose Youth Foundation is the first Jewish youth foundation in this part of the country.

“When we first started Rose Youth Foundation, we had no idea how much impact it would have on the community, the teens, and the Foundation,” says Lisa Farber Miller, senior program officer at Rose Community Foundation. “This philanthropy program has proven to be a powerful way for teens to engage in the Jewish community and do their part to make the world a better place than they found it.”

An introductory meeting for the teens and their parents was held on November 8. Regular meetings are planned for once or twice a month through May 2008. The group will investigate and analyze community needs, decide on a grantmaking approach to address the needs they identify, and then award grants based on their findings. All decisions on funding priorities and the awarding of grants will be made by the youth. Lisa Farber Miller and Sarah Indyk will serve as resource personnel from Rose Community Foundation, and Scott Esserman, a Cherry Creek High School teacher, will serve as the group’s facilitator.

More information about Rose Youth Foundation is available at rcfdenver.org/RYF or by calling Sarah Indyk at 303.398.7416.

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Rose Youth Foundation 2007-2008 Members

Jeffrey Aschkinasi
Samantha Berenstein
Alexis Cohen
Sabina Fechisin
Zachary Ginsburg
Joel Greenberg
Helen Katich
Risa Katz *
Jenny Koff *
Hannah Leventhal *
Stephen Lurie*
Elliot Mamet
Ben Rabinoff
Elliot Reaven *
Daniel Rosenblum
Jonathan Shpall
Zachary Siegel
Jesse Spafford *
Reid Spitz
Nikki Toltz
Julia Wedgle *
Sarah Zapiler *
Talya Zax *

*indicates returning members