CAYAC

Coopersville Area Youth Advisory Council

The Coopersville Area Youth Advisory Council is made up of high school students from the Coopersville area. CAYAC members meet during the school year to discuss and assess youth issues prevalent in the community, as well as to review grant proposals made to benefit youth in the community.

The CAYAC was established in 1997 thanks to a challenge grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Since then, over 100 students have served on the CAYAC, and this fund has generated $415,000 in assets. More importantly, since its inception, the program has had the privilege to grant out $231,000 to programs that address relevant, pressing issues that face Coopersville area youth.

CAYAC Membership

We accept applications for CAYAC membership each May from students going into their freshman through senior years of high school.
Applications are currently open until May 31st.

Membership Duties & Responsibilities

Members of CAYAC have the opportunity to make real change in our community by awarding grants to projects they feel are worthy of funding. This is a meaningful position of leadership in the Coopersville area. There are a few duties and responsibilities that every member must be held accountable for. They include:

  • Attendance at a minimum of 7 monthly meetings per school year. (Meetings are September through May, the second Monday of the month from 5 – 6 PM.) If you are unable to attend, you are responsible for notifying the adviser 24 hours prior to the meeting.
  • We serve at the Coopersville Cares Food Truck on the second Tuesday of the month from 9:15 – 11 AM. Students are responsible for any missed schoolwork.
  • Committed, dedicated interest in learning about community youth issues through a variety of channels: collaboration, discussion, guest speakers, site visits, and possible regional meetings with other YACs in the State of Michigan.
  • Preparation for meetings, which can include reading multiple pages of grants.
  • Evaluation of all funding requests in a fair and equitable manner that reflects the Foundation’s mission.
  • Active engagement in the meetings.
  • Responsible and mature representation of the Coopersville Area Community Foundation.

Important Dates

If you’re a high school student interested in helping out your community, and you think you’d be a good candidate for a CAYAC membership, be sure to fill out an application! We love to hear from intelligent, community-minded students like you, and we look forward to reading your application. The timeline for the member selection process is as follows:

Application Opens
May 1, 2023

Applications Due
May 31, 2023

Youth Grant Program

The Coopersville Area Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council awards grants annually to support local programs and projects that work to expand programming and opportunities for the young people in our community.

CAYAC Grant Application Deadline: January 13, 2023

The same grant process and guidelines apply, however, please ensure your inquiry addresses one or more of the CAYAC Grantmaking Guidelines. Larger youth-focused grants may be reviewed by both the Grants Committee and the Youth Advisory Council for a co-funding opportunity.

kelly post
For questions about the Coopersville Area Youth Advisory Council, please contact our CAYAC Advisor, Kelly Post.

Coopersville Area Community Foundation   |   182 East Street Rm 112, Coopersville, MI 49404   |    616-502-9386