The Fund for Santa Barbara’s Youth Making Change program is a year-long, youth-led grant-making program launched in 2008 to provide young people with the opportunity to engage directly in organized philanthropy.

Board members are youths ages 13 to 19. Each YMC board — one in Santa Barbara and one in Santa Maria — gives out a total of $10,000 in grants of various sizes ($500 to $5,000) to projects that address issues and challenges directly affecting youths in Santa Barbara County.

Click here to download a Youth Making Change grant application in English and Spanish, or visit its offices at 26 W. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara or 120 E. Jones Street, Suite 127 in Santa Maria.

Basic Guidelines (see the application for complete project requirements)

» Projects must be youth-driven. Youths should be leaders in all aspects of the project.

» Youth in the community must benefit from the project, not just the planning team.

» Projects must address a social issue or meet an actual need facing young people in Santa Barbara County.

» Projects must be located in Santa Barbara County.

» Youth-led groups must have an adult ally or a sponsoring organization, such as a school or community-based organization.

Interested groups are encouraged to attend a YMC workshop from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7 at the Santa Barbara Public Library (downstairs), 40 E. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara, or from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14 at the Santa Maria Public Library (Shepard Hall), 421 S. McClelland St.

Questions may be directed to Cristina González, program manager for The Fund for Santa Barbara, at 805.922.1707 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Groups must submit their applications by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1.

— Geoff Green is executive director of The Fund for Santa Barbara.