What is a Youth Bank?

YouthBank is a unique way of involving young people in grant-making within their local community.  It is an all-Armenian initiative of nearly 9 grant-making committees run by young people.  The funding distributed by these decision-making committees supports projects designed and run by young people that address issues and concerns relevant to them and their community.

YouthBank is not just about giving out grants, it is a personal development programme, which will build young people’s self-esteem and confidence and provide them with an opportunity to learn new skills in leadership, team-work, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, negotiation, report-writing, presentation skills, event management, interview skills and lots, lots more.

Youth Bank in Armenia

Youth Bank is designed to encourage young people to address important issues in their communities. With guidance and support from EPF, Youth Bank committees consisting of five to seven young adults aged 16 to 25 manage a pool of small grants ranging from $300-500 each for youth-led community development projects. Since 2007, EPF has formed nine Youth Bank committees in eight regions of Armenia and in Yerevan. Jinishian Memorial Foundation generously provided $25,000 for community projects in 2009.

Our partners in the Youth Bank project are:  USAID, Jinishian Memorial Foundation, the Peace Corps, the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland, as well as community-based youth NGOs and youth-oriented media from throughout Armenia.