Empowering the next generation of community leaders.

The Sprout Fund sought to empower young people and catalyze new ideas generated directly by youth. The Change Machine program provided a direct, accessible funding stream for innovative, non-traditional ideas focused on issues and challenges faced by young people in the Pittsburgh region. The goal was to inspire a diverse group of participants to become more active, involved, and civically-engaged in their communities.

The program offered small, catalytic $500 grants to youth leaders aged 18 and younger. These micro-grants supported projects across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County that ranged from community improvement and education to arts, technology, and cultural showcases.

The program was led by co-founders Megan Cicconi and Alison Francis and supported by a dedicated Program Advisory Committee of approximately 10 individuals. This committee not only made funding recommendations to The Sprout Fund’s Board but also acted as community ambassadors and contributed financially to create the resource pool for the grants. Applications were accepted in multiple rounds per year. Once funded, each youth-led project was paired with at least one adult mentor to help guide their work.

In 2016, the Change Machine funded a diverse portfolio of projects that empowered youth to develop as leaders, amplified a wide array of youth voices, and created tangible, positive changes. Initiatives included everything from building “Buddy Benches” to foster inclusion in elementary schools and constructing a “Tiny Home” to raise environmental awareness, to launching a dance team for young women and hosting a fashion show to showcase diverse cultures.

Program In Brief