Best Buy awards $1mm in community funds to teens

Minnesota-based international electronics retailer Best Buy has recently announced the share of the $250,000 @15 Exchange fund that will be awarded to four youth-focused organizations. The fund was divided based on points awarded by @15 community members between the ages of 13 and 18. Members were able to earn points by participating on at15.com. The nonprofits that were chosen for this round were DoSomething.org, Students Today Leaders Forever, National Youth Leadership Council, and Youth Serve America. Do Something received the majority of the points with 8,520,930, equaling a 48-percent total share of the $250,000 fund.

Do Something focuses on providing adolescent leaders with the tools need to enact change in their communities. $500 Do Something Seed Grants are awarded weekly to jump-start program ideas. $500 Do Something Growth Grants are also awarded weekly and are open to youth who have created a sustainable community action project, program or organization and want to grow it. One of the latest Seed Grant winners was James Coenen for his plan to supply his 400-student school with organic vegetables and herbs, home-grown in the school’s very own garden. Do Something also provides a database of scholarships, grants and awards that are open for applications.

At the end of the fourth round of giving, the @15 Exchange fund has now donated $1 million in community-appropriated funding to youth-empowering nonprofits through its online networking and voting system. Other top point-earners in the competition include Genesys Works and Project Girl in round one, Ashoka’s Youth Venture in round two, and DonorsChoose.org in round three. The next four organizations that will be considered for member voting are the Boys & Girls Club, Dollars for Scholars, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Make sure the youth in your life don’t miss out on the action.

This post was originally published by Tristan Pollock on TECHdotMN.