A transformative programme for pupils in Scotland

Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI)

YPI is The Wood Foundation’s active citizenship programme for Scottish schools, giving young people the chance to understand local issues, champion a charity they care about and secure funding to support its work.

Visit the YPI website

What is YPI?

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) is The Wood Foundation’s schools-based active citizenship programme, delivered in 280 secondary schools across Scotland.

It gives young people a practical way to understand social issues in their local area and connect with charities working to address them. Through the programme, pupils learn that philanthropy is not something distant or abstract - it is about noticing need, listening to others and using your voice to support change.

YPI is managed and majority funded by The Wood Foundation, reflecting its long-term commitment to developing young people in Scotland.

How does it work?

Every year, each participating school receives a £3,000 YPI grant to award to a local charity.

Pupils work in teams to research community issues, choose a charity they believe in and build a case for why it should receive the funding. Finalists then present in front of their peers, teachers and a panel of judges.

The winning team secures the grant for their chosen charity, giving young people a real decision to make and a real contribution to their community.

Programme impact

YPI in numbers

39,000+

Young people empowered

£8.5m

Donated to local charities

280

partner schools across Scotland

88%

of teachers say pupils are becoming more active citizens

The YPI journey

For many young people, issues like food poverty, mental health, homelessness and social isolation are not distant topics. They are part of the world around them, affecting people in their communities and sometimes their own lives.

YPI asks young people to look outward, understand those issues more deeply and connect with charities working to address them. Through that process, pupils begin to see that they can be part of the response, using their own voice to make a case for change.

STEP 1

Understanding local need

YPI begins with young people looking more closely at the place they live. They explore issues affecting people in their community and start to understand the realities behind them.

STEP 2

Connecting with a charity

Working in teams, pupils choose a charity they believe in and learn about the people it supports. For many, this means reaching out, listening to experiences different from their own and seeing the role charities play in everyday lives.

STEP 3

Making the case

Each team builds a presentation for their chosen charity, with finalists speaking in front of their peers, teachers and a panel of judges. By that point, they have researched, listened, shaped an argument and prepared to ask others to care too.

STEP 4

Creating real impact

The winning team secures a £3,000 grant for its charity, but the impact goes beyond the funding. YPI builds skills in teamwork, public speaking, research and resilience, and gives young people a stronger sense of what their voice can do.

This is the YPI effect.

Voices of YPI

The impact of YPI is seen through the people who experience it: the young people who take part, the teachers who guide them and the charities whose work is brought into focus.

"Before YPI, the thought of standing up in front of my class to do a talk would make my legs buckle. I wouldn't have never thought I was capable of standing up on a stage to present to 400 people. YPI has been an amazing experience."

School pupil

“YPI is important as it allows our pupils to build a much greater understanding of the world around them and really make a difference in our local community.”

Fiona Martin YPI Lead Teacher

“YPI not only gives the young people a better understanding of the third sector in their local area but they are given the opportunity to learn and speak about social issues important to them.”

Sammie Smith The Holywood Trust

What YPI means for different communities

YPI brings schools, young people and charities into the same conversation. Each group experiences the programme differently, but together they create the impact that sits at the heart of YPI.

YOUNG PEOPLE

A chance to use your voice

YPI gives young people the opportunity to explore issues that matter, connect with charities in their community and speak up for a cause they believe in.

Through the programme, pupils build confidence in research, teamwork, public speaking and decision-making. They also see that their voice can have real impact, not in the future, but now.

SCHOOLS

A meaningful way to deliver active citizenship

YPI gives schools a structured, engaging way to bring active citizenship to life.

The programme supports learning across research, communication, collaboration and critical thinking, while helping pupils connect with real social issues in their local area. It creates moments that can shift confidence, open conversations and strengthen the school’s relationship with its wider community.

CHARITIES

A platform for local causes

YPI helps charities build awareness among young people and school communities, while giving pupils a deeper understanding of the people and issues they support.

Each participating school awards a £3,000 grant to one local charity, but the value often goes beyond funding. Through YPI, charities can share their work, build new relationships and inspire the next generation of supporters.

Supported by partners

YPI is managed and majority funded by The Wood Foundation, with the support of funding partners who share its belief in young people and the role they can play in their communities.

That support helps YPI continue to grow, reaching more schools, empowering more pupils and directing more funding to charities across Scotland.

To discuss supporting YPI nationally or in a specific local area, please contact Lizbeth Paul, YPI Director, at lizbeth.paul@thewoodfoundation.org.uk.