Young Philanthropists Project
The Greek America Foundation’s Young Philanthropists initiative is a highly competitive mentorship, philanthropic training and networking program for Greek Americans under 35.
This unique opportunity provides mentorship from prominent diaspora Greeks in the worlds of finance and private equity, Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurship and academia as well as firsthand exposure to the fundraising efforts critical to the longevity and support of non-profit organizations.
Prospective members of the Young Philanthropists must be passionate about philanthropy, Greek heritage and culture. This program is limited to 30 members annually between 20 and 35 years of age who will be selected from an open application process.
Our Mission
To serve the community, advocate on behalf of those without a voice, and cultivate Philotimo – the Greek way of life.
Our Vision
To be a leader in Greek-American community supporting culture, community, education, and philanthropy. Our ultimate goal is to cultivate Greek culture and identity, positive change, and social responsibility. Together we can: engage, inspire and lead the next generation of change-makers and philanthropists.
Our Values
1) Champion and preserve Hellenism as a value system
2) Empower philanthropic initiatives
3) Cultivate ethics and good will
4) Instill social and moral responsibility in the millennial generation
Program Objectives
The program focuses on three key objectives servicing our mission:
(1) Expose members to prominent Greek American business leaders currently serving as mentors at Greek America Foundation events (i.e. NIC Conference, Concordia Summit, etc.)
These mentors serve as models of excellence in their respective professional fields as well as in their philanthropic engagement
(2) Provide quarterly training webinars centered around philanthropy by mentors and other guest speakers who founded and/or operate their own non-profits
Topics covered include fundraising and investment, social entrepreneurship and professional development best practices
Provide an end-to-end overview of non-profits culminating in a fundraising target.
The monies raised will be invested and a portion of the funds will be distributed through a grant-making process managed by a sub-committee of the group
(3) Grow an extensive global network of Greek diaspora with each Young Philanthropist graduating class.
There will be several social events as well as opportunities to continue contributing to philanthropic efforts upon graduating
Additional Requirements:
Candidates must be U.S. or Canadian citizens or permanent residents of either country.
Candidates must be at least 20 years old and may be up to 35 years old on the date of application.
Upon selection, new members will be required to pay a $300 USD membership fee, which will be applied to seeding the Young Philanthropists Endowment Fund.
Young Philanthropists Founding Board
Susanna Manziaris is the founder of GirlsHelpingGirls; a charity focused on empowering and raising the global status of women through education. Susanna is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Political Science with a minor in Journalism at Northeastern University, where she also serves as the Portfolio Manager for the University Student Investment Fund and was selected as a Forbes30Under30 Scholar.
Stefanos Lazaridis is from Houston, Texas and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a Concentration in Finance from Menlo College. He is currently an Order to Cash Analyst at Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI). He is passionate about self development, music, fitness and education. He is dedicated to serving Greek communities around the world in any way that he can.
Andreas Lagos currently manages the strategic initiatives group at UMA Education, one of the largest online providers of healthcare education in the U.S. Prior to that, he worked at Strategy& (formerly Booz&Co) as a management consultant to Fortune 500 national health systems, pharmaceutical and insurance companies. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Swarthmore College. He is passionate about access to education, technology and their role pivotal in socio-economic mobility. His roots are in Crete and Chios.
Christos Voutsakis is a Business Analytics Consultant with Adobe where he partners with global brands to optimize their digital experiences. He has prior experience working in consulting and in the digital analytics industry. He received his Bachelors in Economics from Villanova University. He maintains deep involvement in the Greek American community having served in leadership positions throughout college and beyond.