One of Sue Nelson’s dreams before she retired from the Community Foundation was to start a program for youth in our community to learn about philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. That dream came true through the Youth Philanthropy Leadership Program, which began in 2023. But could Sue have envisioned that one of the original students would go on to pursue a degree in philanthropic studies?

Meet Mosinee High School senior Jena Bartnik. “I’ve always been passionate about a lot of different social issues and politics—unlike your typical teenager,” she said. “I’ve excelled in school and all my extracurriculars, but I’ve never really fallen in love with a specific subject. The Youth Philanthropy Program opened my eyes to what can be done for the community.”

Bartnik will begin studying philanthropic leadership this fall at Indiana University Indianapolis, at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the only school of its kind in the country that offers a philanthropy major. She competed at the university’s Pitch Your Passion competition in March and was one of three students awarded a full-ride Thomasson scholarship. “Sue Nelson likes to call me her and Kelly’s ‘success story,’” Bartnik said with a laugh.

‘Kelly’ is Kelly Price, Director of Programs and Donor Relations at the Community Foundation. She talked about leveraging local talent. “We have these amazing students, like Jena, in the area who are willing to learn about philanthropy and capable of making big decisions as part of our Distributions Committee,” Price stated. “We couldn’t turn away all of this talent.”

Price said that junior-year students experience what is called the “Year of Giving,” where they learn about the basics of philanthropy and how businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and government entities work together to support the nonprofit field. Senior-year students then go through a “Year of Receiving,” learning how that money is given in a relationship-building setting. “The students talk with our local funders, local businesses, and independent donors,” Price continued. “Then they work on the four pillars of fundraising, like an annual appeal, a fundraising event, grant writing, and personal asks.”

Bartnik said her senior year fundraiser was a great experience. “We learned how to host a successful fundraising campaign and everything that goes into that. We hosted a pickleball tournament at the Wausau Tennis Club,” she said. “We had about 30 community members come out and participate in the tournament, and we raised a little over $2,000 from doing personal asks. It ran smoothly, and the participants were happy to know that there are youth in their community who care about our local nonprofits.”

This hands-on experience solidified Bartnik’s college plans. “When I completed the program’s first year, I realized that I wanted to study philanthropy and take it with me,” she stated. “I saw everything come together, and it was really an ‘aha’ moment for me that this is what I want to do in my future. As students, we now see that we can make a difference within our communities. If we put the work in, we can see the results. Being able to talk face-to-face with different nonprofit directors and businesses greatly influenced me.”

Price said the impact on students is incredible. “We have some really great stories,” she said. “One said he may not be going into the philanthropic field, but he wants to eventually become an attorney and come back to Wausau, join a board, and help nonprofits. Another student said that after visiting one of our local mental health facilities, she wants to go into that field, while another student will be interning with the Community Partners Campus.”

Bartnik had more praise for the Youth Philanthropy Leadership Program. “The program teaches you communication, leadership, speaking up for your beliefs, and finding your voice. Learning how to communicate with the other students in the program and with people in the community was empowering. And now I know I can actually do this as a career and make a difference in the world.”