Up, Up and Away With Your Help!

Year #1 is in the books!

What were the challenges and where did we succeed?

First, the challenges and how they were approached

• Establishing the Foundation legally and registering with the IRS as 501 (c) 3

  • This was done using the skill of our Vice President, Dustin Manwaring.  Dustin is a lawyer who knows the ropes!

  • Every past donor to the Lillian Valley School was contacted to inform them of converting the school to the Lillian Vallely Youth Foundation that has the same academic, cultural, and moral/values mission.  Donations are being received today through this website and by mail.

• The Lillian Vallely Youth Foundation and its mission were not well known

  • The Foundation approached the Shoshone Bannock tribes and the public-school districts surrounding the reservation.

  • We have granted funding to a Native high school senior for her senior project to teach Native arts classes in her school.  On a larger scale, the Foundation has worked with two high schools, one middle school, and five elementary schools. 

  • In the past, the school reached thirty students.  Our targeted outreach is over four hundred.   

• Creating a grant process that was simple enough for an individual yet thoroughly vetted the purpose, structure, and probable success of each applicant.

  • Check out the grant application on this website and give us a critique.

  • Of course, the Awards Committee of our Board takes a personal approach with each person or organization who applies.

Going Forward to the future

 Growth is absolutely necessary.  It is our biggest challenge in the next five years.

• The LVYF outreach is going statewide; we are reaching out to Native tribes in other parts of the state of Idaho.  This forward movement is starting by having conversations with tribal representatives who represent their constituencies to the state legislature.

  • We are blessed to have members of the Board and friends that work with Native youth professionally and as neighbors.  This keeps us grounded in what the real needs are and what will work.

• The investment earnings of the Foundation are very important.  However ,we must triple our endowment to serve more broadly and with increasing effectiveness.  We welcome business and personal investment to help on the early, positive growth side of this human equation.  Growth is a critical to success.

• Operational Frugality – “We get by with a little help from our friends.”

  • The operational overhead of the Lillian Valley Youth Foundation is VERY low.  We are completely a volunteer organization.