4/24/2025
The North Central Michigan Community Foundation (NCMCF) will host Youth Advisory Council Day on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. This special 24-hour online event is dedicated to raising awareness and support for the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC), which provides annual grant funding to youth-focused projects in their communities. The event is held in partnership with the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM), the lead foundation for NCMCF.
Youth Advisory Councils are groups of youth ages 12-21 who engage in philanthropy through grantmaking, leadership opportunities, and community service. Through this program, young people across northeast Michigan are learning about the important role philanthropy plays in building strong communities. NCMCF’s Youth Advisory Councils include students from Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties.
“Our YAC program has quite a reach across all of northeast Michigan,” says CFNEM Development & Marketing Director Christine Hitch. “We have about 130 YAC members serving in 19 different schools across our nine-county service area. In the NCMCF region specifically, we are proud to have active YACs in Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties. The impact these young people are having on their communities is incredibly positive, inspiring, and very much needed. We are thrilled to dedicate a full day to helping them grow their impact even more.”
On May 6, community members are encouraged to visit NCMCF’s website at ncmcf.org and donate to support one or more of the three NCMCF YACs. Half of each donation will be permanently endowed to grow future grantmaking, while the other half will fund the next round of YAC grants to be awarded in early 2026.
Hitch added that the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan will match the first $1,000 donated to each of NCMCF’s Youth Advisory Councils.
“This program is truly growing the next generation of givers in our communities by connecting them to philanthropy and leadership through grantmaking,” said Hitch. “We have seen former YAC members go on to become donors, community leaders, and even trustees serving on our Foundation boards.”
Grants from the North Central Michigan YACs are awarded through the Crawford County Kellogg Youth Fund, the Ogemaw County Kellogg Youth Fund, and the Oscoda County Kellogg Youth Fund, all held at NCMCF. Since the YAC program was established in North Central Michigan in 1998, more than $415,000 has been awarded to nonprofits supporting youth initiatives.
As a fun addition to Youth Advisory Council Day, the YAC that raises the most donations on May 6 will take home “Mac the Golden Yak” — a traveling trophy named by YAC members from across northeast Michigan. Last year, Mac was awarded to the Northeast Michigan YAC and made a victory lap through Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties.
To support a local YAC on Youth Advisory Council Day, visit ncmcf.org on Tuesday, May 6, between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. to donate online. Donations can also be mailed to the Community Foundation office at NCMCF, P.O. Box 495, Alpena, MI 49707.
Every donation — large or small — helps empower local youth to become active leaders in their communities. Visit ncmcf.org on May 6 to support the next generation of changemakers! Learn more