Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is seeking Young Adult Friends (aged 18-35) to serve as consultants for a pilot program to increase the involvement of more young adults in the yearly meeting’s grantmaking.
During the 11-month program, up to eight participants will provide consultation to PYM’s Granting Committee based on their active participation in one of PYM’s nine Granting Groups. As consultants, participants will be present for all Granting Group meetings, and will stand outside of consensus for final decisions. Several times during the year, participants will gather with PYM staff for fellowship, support, debriefing and opportunities for shared learning. Participants of the program will be provided with a modest stipend as consultants to PYM’s granting program. At the end of the program, the consultants will share their experience, feedback, and recommendations with the Granting Committee and the wider PYM community.
Who should apply?
The program is designed for young adults (aged 18-35) that are active in Quaker life in/around Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
In addition to age, priority will be given to creating a cohort that is cross-race, cross-class, mixed-gender and containing a diversity of young adults of different sexual orientations, Quaker background, geographic locations, and other identities currently underrepresented in PYM grantmakers. Please get in touch with us if you have questions about whether this program would be a good fit for you.
We also ask that participants be ready to commit to a whole year, and work in and learn about the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting structure. The program is not time intensive, and participants will be expected to attend all granting group meetings and cohort sessions throughout the year.
What do participants get?
The program provides participants with:
- A supported opportunity for young adults to serve with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
- Volunteer professional experience with a grants and/or scholarship process from the funding side
- A space to be in relationship around topics such as Quaker money, age inclusion, philanthropy, Quaker process, investing, governance, decision making, and the intersections at which all this work is situated
- Fellowship with other young adults (mostly virtual, with the potential for in-person gatherings later in the year)
- A $500 consultant stipend
Program Timeline
Each Granting Group has a different meeting schedule. Granting Group and Cohort session will typically be 2 hours.
- Cohort Welcome Zoom Call —
August 27, 2020* - Granting Groups Meetings – September-June
- Quaker Fundraisers Gathering (Optional) – October 4 – 6, 2020
- Cohort Session Call – November 30, 2020
- Cohort Session Call – February 25, 2020
- Grantmaker’s Saturday Gathering – March, 2020 (Date TBD)
- Cohort Wrap up – June/July (Date TBD)
Other opportunities for engagement and participation may arise throughout the program.
*Opening Zoom call will now be scheduled for the week of September 7-11, due to the PYM’s office being closed in August.
Granting Group Meetings Frequency
Granting groups meet between 2 and 10 times a year, with most meeting 2-4 times. Each granting group meets on a different schedule, and attention will be given to matching granting groups with participant’s schedule and availability. Some participants will have more meetings than others. Participants can expect to dedicate 30 hours over the course of the year to this program.
More Info About PYM Grants
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting makes over 400 grants every year to individuals, Quaker Meetings, and non-profit organizations. Grants are made from income from restricted bequests and trusts given to our Yearly Meeting by donors since 1795.
Each of PYM’s granting groups have a specific area that they fund. Several granting groups have been identified as strong fits for the program (Travel & Witness, Membership Development, Quaker Buildings & Programs). Final Granting Group matches will be based on your interest and the needs and confidentiality of each granting group.
Contact
If you’re interested in joining and want to learn more about the program, you can get in contact with Meg (mrose@pym.org), PYM Young Adult Engagement Coordinator, or Lucas (Lrichie@pym.org), PYM Grants Associate. We’ll be the main contacts for the program throughout the year and are happy to answer any questions and talk through what the program might entail.