Igniting the Spark: Dekko Family Foundation

The Dekko Family Foundation is located in Kendallville, Indiana. The idea for Youth Pods started in the 1990s, when a staff member went to a family philanthropy conference and learned about youth philanthropy initiatives. With no Dekko family members at the right age, the Dekko Foundation looked to the Michigan Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council model to develop youth philanthropy in the communities it serves. They partnered with the local community foundation as the fiscal agent and schools to recruit students and help run the program. The first of what they call “Youth Pods” was started in 1994 in Noble County, Indiana. There are now 13 Youth Pods in four states. This next gen case study describes their history of youth engagement, and the strategies they have used to engage youth connected to their foundation.