Pictured left to right: Alex Kaufman (Co-founder of Youth Philanthropists of Alaska), Alexandra McKay (President and CEO of Alaska Community Foundation), Liam Cuddy (Co-founder of Youth Philanthropists Alaska).
Anchorage teens Liam Cuddy and Adam Kaufman are launching something special. As co-founders of Youth Philanthropists Alaska (YPA), they’ve created a new youth-led group that introduces kids to the power of giving together.
On a recent spring evening, YPA held its first meeting at The Alaska Community Foundation’s BP Energy Center, a space designed to foster collaboration, learning, and community engagement.
YPA brings school-aged youth together in a giving circle, where they learn about local nonprofits and decide where to direct their pooled donations. The idea is simple, but the experience was powerful. Each young person was asked to bring $10, a small sum at first glance, but with more than 70 kids in the room, the donations quickly added up. With support from an anonymous corporate sponsor and a matching gift from ACF, those $10 donations grew into a collective grant of $2,160.
The highlight for many students in attendance wasn’t the grant itself; but hearing firsthand about the real work being done to improve lives across their community. Representatives from Covenant House Alaska, Special Olympics Alaska, and The August Fund shared their missions and stories.
The young people listened, asked thoughtful questions, and then voted, with the results awarding the grant to Covenant House Alaska, an organization that fittingly is also focused on young people, providing support to youths experiencing homelessness.
That night, YPA lived out the goals Adam and Liam had imagined:
- Engage youth in their communities. Several teens who attended are now volunteering with the nonprofits they learned about.
- Build connections across schools. With students from more than a dozen schools, the event became a space to build friendships and share ideas.
- Multiply individual impact. For many, this was their first time giving, and the excitement was tangible as they watched as their $10 multiply in real time.
- Inspire lifelong giving. By the end of the evening, many were asking, “When’s the next event?”
As Liam reflected, “Many families are just one car accident, one illness, or one rent payment away from crisis. If we can teach kids to care and how to act on that care, we can change lives.” Adam added, “Giving is not something you do; it’s something you are.”
YPA is planting the seeds of generosity early, showing young Alaskans they don’t have to wait to make a difference. With encouragement, community, and a shared sense of purpose, even the smallest gifts from young hands can spark lasting change.
ACF is proud to help grow that spark by supporting youth like Adam and Liam as they build community, inspire their peers, and make giving generational.
