Click here to apply for the 2013 Girls Advisory Board! Application deadline is Friday, June 28th.

Our Girls Advisory Board – GAB!

Now with its ninth class, our award-winning Girls Advisory Board program provides high-school girls living in Chester County with the opportunity to learn about the deep and varied needs in their communities while engaging in strategic grantmaking. Through GAB, the Fund aims to educate a new generation of young women about the importance of philanthropy, community service, and the positive difference each girl can make on the lives of others. To learn more about the program, when to apply, and to keep up on all Fund news, sign up for our e-mail list.The Girls Advisory Board…

  • Responsible for 57 grants, totaling $170,000, awarded to area nonprofits serving girls in Chester County!
  • Co-host of the first national Girls Grantmaking Conference in which more than thirty high-school girls from across the country, including our own GAB girls, taught us and each other how they identify and implement change through grantmaking in their communities. Click here to read the full news release.
  • Brings together girls from 27 different public, private and parochial schools. Nearly every high school in Chester County has been represented on GAB since the program’s inception.
  • Awarded the 2007 “Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy” Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Philadelphia Chapter.
  • Part of the Girls Grantmaking Network, an international network of women’s funds with girls’ grantmaking programs. Within this network, GAB members serve as advisors to similar programs around the world.

GAB Stories: Madison Miller

“As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to reach out to others.  Being a member of GAB pushed me out of my bubble and opened my eyes to the vast issues plaguing my county. I was inspired to learn about the incredible work of Chester County’s nonprofit programs. The employees of these agencies thoughtfully, creatively, and respectfully help others every single day. The directors and employees of these agencies work the hardest they can so that others may thrive. That is true philanthropy! I felt empowered to know that our contributions in GAB could support programs, which have such profound effects on people’s lives.

As a member of GAB, I’ve learned strategies for being an effective leader. Instead of always expressing my own views, I ask the other girls what they think. Through this experience, I’ve figured out how to articulate my views respectfully. I‘m so grateful to have experienced the art of consensus building through GAB. It’s an invaluable part of our decision making process.

Wherever I find myself next year at college, I know that I will become involved in service programs that challenge me to be an advocate for people in need. GAB was an amazing experience that I will carry with me the rest of my life.”