Project G.I.F.T. (Grants Investing in the Future of Troy)
To encourage philanthropy among the youth of our community, in 2003 the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with The Troy Foundation established a new program entitled Project G.I.F.T. - Grants Investing in the Future of Troy. Project G.I.F.T. is a program of Teen Leadership Troy.

Each year, members of the Teen Leadership Troy class become the Distribution Committee for Project G.I.F.T. The group is responsible for allocating up to $5,000 to area non-profit organizations after reviewing the required applications outlining the details of the grant request. Grant requests may be for up to $500 from each applicant.

The student members of Project G.I.F.T. review each grant application and determine, based on the merit of each application, which organizations will be awarded grants. An awards ceremony is held after the completion of the project. The students are personally responsible to award the grant checks to the Project G.I.F.T. recipients and provide an overview of the program or project that is being funded by each grant. At the completion of the program the students conduct an evaluation of each grant after the awards have been made, to determine the impact the grant has made on the organization. The students will present their findings to the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce and the Distribution Committee of The Troy Foundation.

A special “thank you” to The Troy Foundation for partnering with the Troy Chamber in this program. The success of Teen Leadership Troy has resulted in its graduates obtaining an increased knowledge about the community they live in as well as a greater understanding of the importance of developing leadership skills.

“The Troy Foundation is very excited about the opportunity to work with this group of teens. They should be commended for their desire to learn about philanthropy and leadership in their communities”, commented Melissa Kleptz, Executive Director of the Troy Foundation. The program will continue each year with each new group of teens enrolled in the Teen Leadership Troy program.

Click here for grant recipients.