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Young Angels of America

Leadership and Fundraising Program

Overview

Young Angels of America teaches innovative fundraising, event production and entrepreneurial leadership to middle and high school students.   By working on the production of entertainment-based student fundraisers, Team members acquire a technical and business skill-set that can significantly contribute to the fundraising capacity of their school and the students’ own financial independence. 

 

Guiding Principles

  • Young people can become significant fundraisers.
  • Young people can give back to their communities.
  • Young people can fundraise across neighborhoods.
  • Young people can be engaged by programs relevant to their technology.

Results

  • Increased overall attendance.
  • Increased enrollment and retention.
  • Increased college admissions.
  • Increased participation in after-school programs.
  • Increased communication throughout the school community.
  • Increased, positive visibility for lower-income schools.

 

“History shows that it does not matter who is in power… those who have not learned to do for themselves and have to depend solely on others never obtain any more rights or privileges in the end than they did in the beginning.” Carter G. Woodson.

 

The Need

Schools most severely impacted by the current economic crisis need to develop their own internal fundraising capacity so they can pay for activities and programs that are not funded. The primary barrier is lack of marketing expertise, traditional school fundraising structure and access to low-cost production and talent resources.   One Young Angels Team can exponentially affect the income and visibility of its school and surrounding community.

 

The History

Young Angels of America was founded in 2002 with a Linkin Park Concert at the House of Blues. Created by Handmade Marketing’s Non-Profit Action Group, the program was designed to teach young people how to give back to their communities via a course of event production. In 2009, in response to the economic crisis, Young Angels produced a pilot program in South Los Angeles designed to teach students how to fund programs and activities that had been removed from their schools. Its success guided the expansion to schools most severely impacted by budget cuts.

 

The Training

Young Angels Team members acquire a diverse business and production skill-set.  They learn sales strategies, public relations, security and have an introduction to the accounting tools used in business.  

 

The Program

Young Angels of America has two signature programs, leadership and after-school media production.  Members are engaged in the hands-on production of school-wide commerce, media production and events that benefit a cause or student activity selected by the students.  Each program is customized to the individual schools’ population, resources and challenges. 

 

Leadership Team

20 students selected by the Principal, faculty or staff form a Core Leadership Team that work directly with program directors on production, analysis and liaising with the student body.  Members are engaged in the on-going development of the after-school program and the production of school-wide events, talent shows, talk shows, athletic exhibitions or other event of their design that benefits a cause or student activity selected by the students.  

 

The Dual Neighborhood Fundraising Project

Young Angels teams in higher-income areas are made up of students from multiple schools.  They produce high-ticket events and support the after-school program in lower-income schools.  The teams train together at events, and interact in real time and on the creation of on-line content.  Young Angels of America provides ongoing support for all the Teams in the program, as well as seminars, workshops, mentoring, intern and apprentice opportunities. 

 

Faculty – Emerging Artists & Executives

The Young Angels Emerging Artists & Executives program trains faculty that exemplify the value Young Angels places on financial independence.  In addition to implementing the production curriculum, these young artists and professionals share the strategies they employed to reach financial independence.

 

For more information contact info@youngangelsofamerica.org 

 

Young Angels of America is the sole owner of the Young Angles of America trademark and is not licensing the use of the trademark for use by any YA team. All uses of the trademark will be pre-approved by Young Angels of America including, but not limited to, printing, merchandise, advertising and publicity. www.youngangelsofamerica.org.

 


 
 



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