The transformative power
of youth-led giving
Every year, tens of thousands of high school students across Canada participate in The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative. Through YPI's innovative curriculum, students research local social issues and charities, and advocate for a $5,000 grant to be directed to the charity of their choice.
In the process, they develop important skills, challenge stigma, change behaviours, and provide critical support to millions of people in need. To date, YPI has granted over $20 million to charities selected by youth.
Making Faces is one of the many charities students selected to receive a $5,000 grant.
Discover this wonderful organization helping children with facial differences.
The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative teaches secondary school students the fundamentals of philanthropy by giving students the opportunity to play a direct role in making a financial grant to a local, grassroots social service organization in their own community.
A Message About YPI's Next Chapter in Canada
Dear YPI community,
I'm writing with an important update about the next chapter for YPI in Canada.
After more than two decades of delivering the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative in Canadian classrooms, we have identified a partner organization with the resources and infrastructure to carry YPI forward in Canada, and hope to announce the partnership soon. Our shared goal is to strengthen the program and help it reach even more young people and communities in the years ahead.
YPI's model remains as powerful and relevant as ever. Internationally, the program continues to thrive: in Scotland, YPI is delivered through The Wood Foundation and continues to engage young people in philanthropy, community learning, and local social action. Its ongoing success there is a reminder that the YPI model has life, relevance, and real potential ahead of it.
In Canada, the impact of YPI has been extraordinary. Students across the country have researched local social issues, built relationships with community organizations, advocated for causes they care about, and directed meaningful funding to charities making a difference close to home. That work — and the schools, teachers, charities, alumni, and funders who made it possible — is the foundation everything ahead will be built on.
As we work toward YPI's next chapter, YPI Canada's current operating structure will wind down. For schools currently completing the program this year, we remain committed to honouring our existing obligations and supporting the completion of those YPI experiences, including the student-directed grants associated with them.
To our schools, charity partners, funders, alumni, volunteers, and friends: we hope you will continue to hold space for YPI. Please keep the program in mind, stay connected to its mission, and remain open to what may come next. YPI has always belonged, in many ways, to the communities that brought it to life — and we believe there is still more life, learning, and impact ahead.
Thank you for being part of YPI's story. You have helped build something deeply meaningful, and we are moving into this next chapter with care, gratitude, and real optimism for what comes next.
With sincere thanks,
Julie Toskan
Founder
EDUCATORS
Bring YPI to your school and empower your students with 21st century skills through our accessible educational resources and support.
STUDENTS
Learn how you can make a real difference in your community through YPI's student-driven philanthropy program.
SUPPORTERS
Join a network of supporters committed to youth engagement. Your donations are crucial to sustaining YPI's mission of empowering youth and supporting local charities.
CHARITIES
Find out how your charity can benefit from YPI's grants and youth advocacy to expand your mission and impact.
SPOTLIGHT ON
MARINA SPALLA,
YPI's Program Director
YPI is powered by incredible people who bring the program to life every day—our staff and board members, teachers, students, donors, and other dedicated supporters. From time to time, we shine a light on someone whose story reflects the heart of our mission.
Program Director Marina Spalla brings over seven years of experience in education, spanning elementary to post-secondary levels. But what makes Marina’s journey especially meaningful is that she’s also a proud YPI alumna.
Her story is proof of YPI’s lasting impact: inspired by her own high school experience with the program, Marina chose a career in the charitable sector—a decision rooted in the values of empathy, community, and purpose that YPI helped spark.
Today, Marina leads YPI’s programming with the same passion that first brought her to the initiative as a student. Her commitment to youth, philanthropy, and community-building is evident in everything she does.
