On a Monday evening in November, nearly 200 seventh-through 12th-graders listened to Anchorage nonprofits talk about their mission at a Youth Philanthropy Alaska meeting.
The meeting was similar to ABC's "Shark Tank”, but instead of entrepreneurs pitching business ideas to rich investors, nonprofits pitched their causes to kids who each brought $10 to give. Representatives from three organizations gave brief presentations about why the kids should vote for them to receive the funds.
Grace Yang is a sophomore from West High School who attended the meeting. The 15-year-old said it’s easy to feel like you can’t do much to spread awareness about different causes as a young person. But when you band together, you’re able to make a bigger impact, Yang said.
“YPA is an especially easy way to make a difference,” she said. “When you have hundreds of kids in one room all bringing $10, it builds up so much. The more people standing up for an issue, the more influence you're going to have.”
When Youth Philanthropy Alaska launched in spring 2025, the young co-founders said they weren’t sure if anyone would show up. Students have a myriad of responsibilities, from sports to homework, and charitable giving is usually reserved for adults. But organizers say participation grew quickly and has exceeded expectations.
In November, nearly 200 attendees packed a conference room to raise more than $10,000 for nonprofits. Sponsors match the prize pool, multiplying its impact. Including that meeting, Youth Philanthropy Alaska has raised more than $35,000 for local organizations.
The winning nonprofit, Anchorage Youth Court, took home a giant check for $8,040. The other two presenters received $1,000 for their organizations.
A “dream come true”
Co-founder Liam Cuddy, a student at Service High School, said young Alaskans are passionate about a wide range of matters, including mental health, domestic violence, food insecurity and youth homelessness.
“A lot of the same issues troubling adults tend to reflect pretty well with kids because they aren't always seen as being affected by these issues in the same way, but they really are,” Cuddy said. “They really do want to change them however they can.”
Philanthropy is the act of using your resources – like time, money, skills or expertise – to benefit society as a whole.
Giving makes your community a better place, Cuddy said.
“One of the great things about the nonprofit space is you meet some of the best people in Alaska because they're not really doing it for the money or the fame or the glamour. They're just doing it because they love Alaska and really love what they do,” he said.
Cuddy said raising thousands of dollars for local nonprofits is a “dream come true.”
When the co-founders graduate, they’ll look for younger students to take over. These givers are young – many aren’t even old enough to drive. Participants represent more than a dozen schools.
Stepping into the world of giving
Co-founder Adam Kaufman, a junior at West High, said a YPA meeting is many attendees' introduction to philanthropy.
“When you engage in the act of philanthropy, it's really giving back to you too, when you think about how good it makes you feel,” Kaufman said. “It is just a feeling that I don't think you can find anywhere else, and I think that that's what YPA has shown all these kids: how giving benefits you too.”
The co-founders say they want to see Youth Philanthropy Alaska become an institution.
The group recently launched a chapter in New Jersey and hope to see the initiative spread to other areas of Alaska.
“I hope that they can bring these skills that they've learned at YPA into their own lives. They can take initiative on their own without a group and go solo, and do whatever they can to make the world a better place,” Kaufman said.
West High sophomore Kate Wade is passionate about a wide variety of issues and said the initiative is an accessible way for young people to give back.
“I'm a pretty busy high schooler, so sometimes I don't have the time to go to Bean’s Cafe, for example,” Wade said. “But I still want to give back because I think the local community of Anchorage and the whole state has just really given me a lot that I feel really thankful for, and I want to contribute to that.”
