Serving with passion. Making an impact. Connecting with other Gaston County students. This is what TCGC is all about!

TCGC is a student run philanthropy program that meets once per month during the school year to learn about the grant making process, network with nonprofit professionals and socialize with other teens from around the county. After learning the process of grants and their impact, the Teen Board is able to judge applications from fellow peers regarding service projects. The teens award a total of $5,000 to various projects in the county. As a follow up to awarding the grants, teens will volunteer with the projects awarded to experience their philanthropy on a personal level. The teen board consists of 9th-12th grade students (public, private, charter, virtual, early college, and homeschool) in Gaston County.

What Does TCGC do?

  • Visit and connect with nonprofit organizations to learn what they do, how they do it, and who leads their mission
  • Reach out to youth in the community to apply for a grant on behalf of a Gaston County nonprofit
  • Review the proposed project ideas from peers
  • Learn the ins-and-outs of grant deliberation
  • Gain important leadership experience and job skills
  • Meet and work with other teens and nonprofit leaders in Gaston County

The application to participate during the 2025-2026 academic year will be open from July 1-31, 2025!

Questions, Comments or Ideas?

Contact Lauren Vanacore at lvanacore@cfgaston.org.

TCGC 2025-2026 APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE