Youth

For young people to flourish, they must be surrounded by a beloved community of friends, teachers, caring adults, and relentless advocates.  Our youth grantmaking prioritizes young people from communities that have been systematically under resourced.  This includes, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Youth Interest Areas

Youth Voice

Maddox believes that including young people in processes is essential if we want to make an impact in their lives. We support programs that center youth leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement.

Examples: youth-led advocacy, leadership development programs, civic engagement and education

Equitable Education Opportunities

It is critical that young people have access to quality educational opportunities to be able to thrive in an uncertain future.  Maddox funds K-12 and post-secondary education programs,  including educational tracks into two-year or four-year institutions and career/technical pathways.

Examples: afterschool programs, job training for young people, college access programs, and teacher training programs

Belonging

Every young person deserves a Middle Tennessee where they feel welcomed and safe. Maddox partners with organizations that create and hold space for young people to be who they are no matter their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, income or status.

Examples: LGBTQIA+ youth programs, immigrant and refugee programs, emergency youth housing.

learn more about our grants

Featured Youth Partners

To see the grants made in the last five years, check out our directory.

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American Muslim Advisory Council

$9,500 for the Youth Leadership Training that focuses on engaging young Muslim youth in the community.

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Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition

$30,000 to support youth organizing training around immigrant and refugee rights.

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The Education Trust of Tennessee

$15,000 in 2022 to host informational workshops around the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement. 

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Jen Bailey is the Executive Director of the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund, bringing her deep experience in community-based leadership, philanthropy, and movement-building to the organization.

Jen is the Founder of Faith Matters Network, a national Womanist-led organization accompanying spiritually-grounded leaders on their journey to heal themselves and their communities. Since its inception, Faith Matters Network has served over 25,000 leaders through its programs and initiatives. She is Co-Founder of The People’s Supper, a global initiative that has hosted over 2,000 gatherings in 135 communities to foster conversation and collective healing across lines of difference.

Committed to advancing social change through philanthropy and nonprofit leadership, Jen serves on the boards of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the Fetzer Institute, and The Healing Trust, where she is the Board Chair.

An Ashoka Fellow, New Pluralist Field Builder, Aspen Ideas Scholar, On Being Fellow, and Truman Scholar, Jen holds degrees from Tufts University and Vanderbilt University Divinity School, where she was awarded the Wilbur F. Tillett Prize for accomplishments in the study of theology. Her work has been featured by On Being with Krista Tippett, CBS This Morning, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. She is also the author of To My Beloveds: Letters on Faith, Race, Loss, and Radical Hope (Chalice Press, 2021).

email Jen: jen@maddoxfund.org