On Tuesday 23 January 2024, the André Losch Foundation announced the launch of the "Up to Youth” initiative, aiming to allow young people of all origins, ethnicities and backgrounds to take the reins of philanthropy by actively participating in the definition of a strategy and the selection of projects carried out for young people.
According to the organisers, it is more important than ever to include young people in creating the future in a rapidly changing world. "Up to Youth" will give a team of ten young people the responsibility of managing a budget of €200,000, which they will be able to allocate to the causes that seem most relevant to them, following a call for projects which will be launched from March 2024.
The Foundation's objective is to involve them from the reflection phase on the criteria for awarding financial support, thus positioning them at the heart of the decision-making process. This initiative represents a symbolic step because, until now, the Foundation had not granted direct power to young people in the decision-making process of the supported associations, even though its vocation consists precisely of helping young people.
Call for Participants
The foundation launched a call for participants to identify ten young people aged between eighteen and 30, residing in Luxembourg and driven by the desire to contribute to building a better world. Candidates can submit their participation, no later than 19 February 2024 (at midnight), via the website https://www.loschfondation.lu/uptoyouth/.
“It is important for young people to be agents of change. With Up to Youth, they find themselves at the heart of the decision-making process, can get involved concretely and have a real impact on society. This initiative also makes it possible to democratise the view on philanthropy by making it more accessible," highlighted Daniela Ragni, Director of the André Losch Foundation.
Participants will have the opportunity to take part in various training and co-creation sessions, thus developing skills in governance and defining the selection criteria for their call for projects. WISE, a Swiss specialist in the support, organisation and implementation of high-impact philanthropic projects, will provide the coaching sessions for the ten selected candidates.
The closing date for registrations will be 19 February 2024 (at midnight). Coaching will start in March 2024 and the call for projects will be open for submissions during two to three months. The selection of the chosen projects will be made public in the summer. The selected projects will then be followed in the field.
