Roy Barak’s Post

Have you considered what it means to engage young people in your work in meaningful and authentic ways? The Youth Voice Playbook is a new resource collaboratively designed by the Center for Digital Thriving, Hopelab, and Character Lab to help do just that! This resource provides helpful tools for identifying your goals, understanding the legal and ethical aspects of youth engagement, learning how to recruit and support youth, and so much more. #thrivingyouth #philanthropy #youthvoice https://lnkd.in/gkBDGac7

Our caring community is united in our belief that all women hold the promise within to build successful, self-sustaining lives, together we are helping others. We give our talent and time to raise funds to provide support, college scholarships and professional mentorship that help women right here in north Texas who are emerging from challenging circumstances to improve their lives. Studies have repeatedly shown the importance of education on health, earning potential and overall success, and we recognize when a woman is empowered by support and education, the impact is felt for generations. That's why in the six years since we started the Women With Promise Scholarship Fund, together we have awarded 17 Scholars more than $50,000 in their pursuit at higher education and professional certification. Join us at our Annual Scholarship Luncheon to celebrate the difference we are making in the lives of our Scholars and their families! Tuesday, September 3rd 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 pm Omni Dallas Hotel Tickets are $90 Self park and discounted valet parking available You'll be inspired by a fabulous panel discussion celebrating the journeys and achievements of three amazing trailblazers who have made significant contributions in the fields of technology, business, and law. - Melanie Sankaran, Chief Information Officer at Aventiv Technologies - Ashley Glover, CEO at WebPT - Judge Audrey Moorehead, the first woman elected Judge of Dallas County Criminal Court Hosted by Krista Medlock, Chairwoman of The Girl Cave, our esteemed panel will share their personal stories, insights, and the lessons learned forging ahead and blazing new trails. Showcasing the diverse paths to success and the impactful roles women can play in various industries, discussion topics include: - Personal Journeys and Achievements - Overcoming Challenges and Barriers - Leadership and Innovation - Work-Life Balance and Personal Growth - Mentorship and Empowerment - Future Trends and Opportunities Get tickets here - https://lnkd.in/g4rPhDfN #scholarship #nonprofit #womenhelpingwomen #northTexas

I had the privilege of addressing youths in Matero and here are some points as to why Youth Engagement is important. Youth engagement is critically important for several reasons: - Fresh Perspectives and Innovation: Young people bring new ideas, creativity, and fresh perspectives to societal issues and challenges. Their innovative thinking can lead to novel solutions that benefit communities and society as a whole. - Empowerment and Participation: Engaging youth empowers them to actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives and futures. This fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their communities. - Building Civic Responsibility: Youth engagement helps in cultivating civic responsibility and a sense of duty towards society. When young people are involved in community service, volunteering, and advocacy, they develop a deeper understanding of social issues and the importance of contributing positively to society.

This article by Melanie Ho resonated with me as there are the same themes present in the corporate work, non-profit as there are in academia. See what you think.

Non-profits can prioritize diversity and inclusion by integrating these values into their core mission and operational strategies. This starts with leadership commitment, ensuring that diversity and inclusion are not just talked about but actively pursued at every level of the organization. Recruitment and hiring practices should consciously aim to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, embracing varied perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Creating a culture of inclusivity means providing continuous education and training on diversity issues, encouraging open dialogue, and making all members feel seen, heard, and valued. Policies and practices should be regularly reviewed and updated to eliminate biases and barriers to participation. Engaging with and supporting diverse communities through outreach and partnerships also reinforces the organization’s commitment to inclusivity. By taking these steps, non-profits can build a more diverse, inclusive, and effective organization that truly reflects and enhances the communities they aim to serve.

Educating a girl or women goes beyond individual learning; it's an investment in future generations as she takes on vital roles as a wife and a mother. One of the most inspiring (and my favourite) aspects of working at Google is the company's commitment to meaningful societal contributions at scale, demonstrated through its actions. The annual Holiday Giving Campaign is back, and Google just gave me a generous $SGD550(!) in credits to donate to an eligible organization of my choice, (and it'll even match up to $10K of my donations.) This year, I'm donating to 'The Asia Foundation,' dedicated to enhancing APAC's economic growth, expanding opportunities, and empowering individuals, with a focus on women's empowerment and gender equality. Supporting girls' education empowers them to lead in their families, communities, and the nation, catalyzing long-lasting economic, social, and health benefits. A donation of $550SGD can enable a girl in Vietnam to pursue an education, covering a year's tuition, books, educational materials, uniforms, and even a bicycle if needed. It also provides customized soft skills training, networking, and mentoring to ensure that the student thrives in her studies. I firmly hold the belief that providing education to a girl profoundly changes her life and positively impacts those in her surroundings and community. Visit google.org to discover how else Google is making difference! #google #googleorg #givingweek #holidaygivingcampaign #womeneducation

Girls in Tech, founded in 2007 by Adriana Gascoigne, has been a pioneering force in striving to eliminate the gender gap in the technology sector. Despite reaching over 250,000 individuals across 35 chapters in 30 countries, the organization faced insurmountable financial challenges, leading to its closure in July 20241. Gascoigne’s personal journey as the lone female executive at a Silicon Valley start-up fuelled her passion to create a supportive environment for women in tech. Girls in Tech offered bootcamps, hackathons, mentorships, and conferences to empower women with the skills needed to thrive in technology. Sadly, Girls in Tech’s closure is not an isolated case. Women Who Code, another prominent organization supporting women in technology, also recently shut down due to similar financial constraints. This highlights a broader issue: securing sustainable funding remains a significant challenge for women-focused tech organizations. Despite growing awareness of gender disparities in tech, funding for women-led initiatives continues to lag. #Tech #DEI #WomenInTech

First, thank you Mia Hooper for connecting me to this opportunity. Last week, I facilitated Equity Training for the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division, where I'm serving as one of their Equity Facilitators for the Thrive and Elevate Grant Panels from late August into September. These grants fund creative, administrative, and operational expenses for cultural organizations, individual artists, and creative businesses that produce culturally vibrant and diverse artistic content for the public. Funding priorities include: 🌍 Serving and/or being accountable to communities at immediate risk of cultural erasure and displacement. 🌟 Representing communities experiencing institutional marginalization. 📊 Demonstrating a measurable commitment to equity in leadership and programming. 🚀 Overcoming barriers to access. As a biracial queer person from a low-income background, my journey is deeply intertwined with the pursuit of equity. I feel a responsibility to uplift others, ensuring the arts are seen as essential to human development. I'm committed to enforcing social justice within the arts, believing everyone has the right not only to arts education but to the arts as a whole. The power of community in catalyzing transformational change is immense. Collaborative efforts often yield greater impact. It’s a privilege to do this work, and it’s exciting to see this role in philanthropy, a field that can perpetuate oppression in communities that face marginalization. Equity is a journey, not a destination. As society evolves, so must our understanding and implementation of equity. In granting, equity ensures resources and opportunities are distributed to address historical and systemic inequities. Philanthropy, historically dominated by wealthy white individuals, must evolve. This involves dismantling traditional power structures and redistributing decision-making power. Authentic equity is achieved by creating spaces where communities can shape the systems that impact them, ensuring their voices have a tangible influence on outcomes. Addressing racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of marginalization is essential. The value of collective benefit reminds us that the wins of the oppressed are wins for us all. I look forward to advancing equity through this grant process to authentically actualize dreams. #Arts #Culture #Philanthropy #Equity #Grants #Facilitation #SocialJustice #CommunityEngagement #DEI #Nonprofit #ArtFunding #CulturalEquity #CreativeCommunities #Austin #Texas

If you are interested in research about the philanthropic engagement of young people, we highly recommend reading studies by Alison Body in the UK. Her most recent paper even mentions us by name! Body covers a brief background of how philanthropy is cultivated in youth, what the current practices are, and offers insights and suggestions on how to continue improving in the future. Her literature review is full of sources that back up the methodology and work we do here at the Giving Square. For example: “Eisenberg, a prominent researcher in the field of developmental psychology, emphasizes that middle childhood (roughly between the ages of 6–11) is a critical period for the development of prosocial reasoning in children. During this phase, children become more adept at understanding and evaluating the moral dimensions of social situations. They begin to consider factors like intentions, consequences, and the feelings of others when making decisions about how to behave” (Body, 2024). We are honored to be acknowledged by such a prominent researcher in the field of philanthropy and for the chance to add another paper on youth development to our personal libraries.