Comic Relief US (CRUS) is committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Through the power of entertainment we drive awareness and amplify the voices of the most
under-resourced communities. Click here to learn more about Comic Relief US and meet the
team.
Through funding across four strategic focus areas, Comic Relief US works to ensure that
children in the US and around the world are safe, healthy, educated and empowered.
Undergirding each of these four pillars is a cross-portfolio focus on gender and racial equity,
building resilience and centering the voices of those most impacted by poverty.
CRUS is pleased to accept applications for its second Youth Advisory Council cohort. The Youth
Advisory Council, or YAC for short, engages young people from communities most impacted by
poverty, from across the US and globally, in its annual grantmaking process.
History of the YAC
The YAC was initiated in September of 2020, convening 8 youth leaders and activists globally to
develop a seed fund for youth-led organizations. After several months of learning and
development, the YAC launched the Juntanza Fund in June 2021. Juntanza means a union to
help each other and achieve a common goal and originates from the practices of
Afro-descendant communities in Colombia. The fund resources and links community-based
organizations and social justice campaigns led by Black or Afro-descendent, Indigenous,
historically excluded populations, girls and young women, differently-abled and LGBTQIA+
young people in the U.S. and historically excluded youth in the Global South. The application
criteria and issues funded by Juntanza grants were determined by YAC members, intended to
be reflective of the group’s beliefs, values, and experiences.
Underlying the creation of the Juntanza Fund were bi-monthly workshops and brainstorming
meetings. YAC members learned about the mechanics of grantmaking and the structural
dynamics of philanthropy from CRUS staff members and industry experts, as well as how other
youth-led groups are leading social change. The YAC works together to explore and build
common values that guide the group’s decision-making, supported by CRUS staff mentors that
worked with members on an individual basis to explore career paths, make progress towards
personal goals, and create lasting connections outside the program.
K https://www.comicrelief.org/who-we-are/youth-advisory-council