FROM GENERAL SERVICES FOUNDATION TO YOUTH AMBASSADORS OF SERVICE
OUR STORY
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, our founders, Sonali and Shayna, recognized a growing need in our community. People were experiencing unemployment, which created a domino effect, leading to food insecurity and other survival challenges. They wanted to do something but realized that hardly any opportunities were designed specifically for young people and that youth faced unique challenges in trying to give back. They can't vote; most don't have a license; although they had the passion, they often did not have the know-how or resources to serve. Addressing this gap between youth interest in service and opportunities for youth to participate in service is where our founders saw a vision. Within a year, our small school-based initiative grew into a fully operational nonprofit serving multiple high schools in Wake County.
GENERAL SERVICES FOUNDATION IS BORN
In September 2020, we founded the General Services Foundation. Our mission: to empower high school students to become community leaders through service.
Wanna hear a funny story?
People are always surprised when they learn that we are not an endowed foundation. Our young founders named the organization literally: We consider ourselves the training ground for youth volunteers who want to gain real-life skills while serving their community and contributing to a wide range of causes they care about. We also provide a financial foundation for student projects with a small upfront cost ($100 or less).
Hence, General Services Foundation is born.
GROWING [UP]
Since our inception, and on a budget of less than $15,000 in cash and in-kind donations over the last few years, we have:
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Provided year-long interns for more than 35 nonprofit organizations in the Triangle
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Trained and mentored more than 100 high school students to lead service initiatives
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Lead 100+ drives, monetary fundraisers, and community events for nonprofit partners
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Raise $35,000+ for local nonprofit partners
Our growth positioned us to reflect and think longer-term about the organization. In the summer of 2023, our leadership built out our very first strategic plan using feedback from and working with students, community members, and nonprofit partners. Top of the list:
A rebrand.
Introducing
For the last six months, our team has been working hard to come up with brand elements that fit our vision for the future. To honor our previous brand, we kept the dark blue, teal, and red colors in our new palette. The new, sleek look and use of forward-leaning graphic elements strike a more youthful, relevant tone in relation to our mission, vision, and values.
A BOLD VISION
With an established board of directors, new brand, and sharpened vision, we are excited about what the future holds in store for us! Over the next two years, we plan to:
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Expand YAS membership to more high schools throughout the Triangle
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Raise $225K+ to support our student service initiatives and establish our first paid role
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Conduct our first organizational and programmatic evaluation
We hope you'll join us on this journey.
READY TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS?
As a small nonprofit run by youth for other youth, we operate on a modest budget. The fiscal year 2024 brought us our first fundraising campaign with a goal of $50,000 to raise by June 30, 2024.
Learn more about what your support will do for the future and legacy of YAS.
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