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Media Release

November 16 , 2006

Community Foundation Youth Leaders win Prestigious Philanthropy Award

(Ottawa) – Ottawa students Joy Ding and Stephanie Zhang were presented with the Outstanding Youth Award at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) annual Philanthropy Awards gala last night. Joy and Stephanie share the honour of the award, a fitting tribute to their work together as Co-Chairs of the Community Foundation of Ottawa’s first Youth Advisory Committee in 2005/2006. The two young women were a tireless duo in their roles with the Community Foundation, as well as in their individual efforts over the last several years to make Ottawa a better place to live and grow for local youth.

“Joy Ding and Stephanie Zhang are fine examples of philanthropy in action and volunteerism at its best,” said Medin Admasu, Youth Programs Coordinator for the Community Foundation of Ottawa, in his nomination letter to the AFP. “The work of Joy and Steph with our new Youth in Philanthropy program is an example of what it means to expand the idea of community philanthropy to the young people living in the city of Ottawa. Their leadership and teamwork has resulted in the creation of a team of 16 people learning and loving the ideas of philanthropy.” Since its inception in the fall of 2005, the Community Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy program has brought together a widely diverse group of youths between the ages of 13 – 21 to sit on its Youth Advisory Committee. In the spring of 2006, the committee created the Foundation’s first grantmaking program for youth, providing 12-thousand dollars in funding to support nine youth-led projects in Ottawa.

An active participant in the local and global community for more than half her life, Joy Ding was first inspired by a visit to her father’s remote countryside village in China. At age 11, Joy was appalled by the level of poverty in which she realized some people around the world are living. Since that day, she has been working on issues around poverty, racism, education and HIV/AIDS. She is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in life sciences at McGill University.

A tireless volunteer in every area of her life, Stephanie Zhang is a prime example of what it takes to be a leader among today’s youth. Whether she’s making presentations to the Ministry of Education as a Student Trustee, participating in United Nations competitions across the continent, volunteering with political parties or local sports teams, Stephanie is an inspiration to everyone around her. She is currently attending the University of Western Ontario and has been accepted into the Richard Ivey School of Business under the Honours Business Administration Program.

About the Community Foundation of Ottawa

The Community Foundation of Ottawa is a public, non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. It connects donors who care with causes that matter and serves as a trusted resource for addressing issues and leveraging opportunities in the community. It attracts and manages a growing endowment, the invested earnings of which provide grants to charitable organizations. The Foundation’s role is as neutral broker in support of all charitable causes that contribute to the community’s quality of life. With its growing profile, the Community Foundation of Ottawa has built an enviable reputation for astute financial management, high-quality donor services, strategic grantmaking and innovative partnerships.