Teen Philanthropy students to host ‘Seas the Trivia’ fundraiser
Seniors in the KidsMatter Teen Philanthropy Initiative are hosting a trivia event as part of their yearlong fundraising campaign.
TPI participants invite the community to join in their beach-themed event, “Seas the Trivia,” with local Naperville trivia led by Mayor Scott Wehrli and three former NFL players asking questions in other exciting categories.
The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at the Naperville Park District’s Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 Jackson Ave.
Advance tickets are $20 or $10 for students; it’s $25 at the door. Light concessions will be available for sale. Participants can stay for all or part of the trivia session, and a prize will be given to the winner at the end. For tickets, visit TPITRIVIA.givesmart.com.
Teen Philanthropy Initiative participants learn about the three pillars of philanthropy — giving, fundraising and strategic volunteering — by engaging in these activities firsthand during the two-year program.
Juniors learn about philanthropic giving by granting money to local nonprofits that benefit young people. Seniors learn about fundraising as they develop and execute a campaign to support the program and increase grant funds available for the next year.
Janet Sommerville, TPI Program Coordinator for KidsMatter, said planning the trivia event has given this year’s seniors the opportunity to engage in the work required to host a fundraising event, such as working with a budget, finding a venue, coordinating activities, complying with regulations and connecting it all with their mission — experiencing the philanthropic process while benefiting others.
“Learning to manage the details and relationships involved with planning a fundraiser will benefit students no matter what they pursue in the future, but especially when working with nonprofits,” Sommerville said. “Students are asking the community to give them money so they can give it back to the community, which is the beauty and uniqueness of this program.”
The upcoming “Seas the Trivia” event follows several other pieces of the TPI seniors' fundraising campaign. Students have volunteered across the community to expand their networks, applied for local grants, mailed appeal letters to their contacts, made personal asks to local donors and received a portion of event sales from a fundraiser at Chipotle earlier this month.
Students also will be making personal asks to local donors as they complete their fundraising campaign.
“Through the TPI fundraising campaign, I learned the value of creating and cultivating relationships with our community,” senior TPI student Emily Moran said. “I have also learned how intricate the process of fundraising is, and how it is so much more than simply asking for money.”
Seas the Trivia participants can test their knowledge in categories including pop culture, sports, history, world events, geography — and even fun facts about Naperville.
Questions also will include guess-the-song and guess-the-logo categories. Former NFL players of Chicago will pose the questions, including Shafer Suggs, New York Jets, strong safety; Gemera Williams, New England Patriots, defensive back; and Reggie Smith, Denver Broncos, offensive tackle.
Teen Philanthropy Initiative in Naperville is wrapping up its second year, after launching in 2023-24. The program was inspired by the Three Pillars Initiative, a national nonprofit based in Oak Park, which aims to provide teens with comprehensive leadership skills and experiences so the next generation can sustainably impact community philanthropy and civic improvement during their lifetime.
The Teen Philanthropy Initiative is offered by KidsMatter in partnership with North Central College.
The program is co-chaired by Nina Menis, CEO and executive director of KidsMatter, and Mark Trembacki, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer at Busey Bank. For details about TPI, visit kidsmatter2us.org/teen-philanthropy-initiative/.
About KidsMatter: Recognized as Naperville’s proactive, youth oriented human service organization, KidsMatter’s mission is to build resilient kids who say “no” to destructive choices and “yes” to endless possibilities. Established in 2001, KidsMatter has received the Naperville Chamber of Commerce 2014 “NFP of the Year” Award, 2015 “AT&T Investing in Illinois Award” and Illinois Principals Association 2016 “Building School Community Bridges Award” for its work helping young people build developmental assets including positive values, healthy relationships, and self-esteem.
With programming focused on preventing problems in the lives of youth before they start, KidsMatter equips youth and families with essential tools to manage the societal pressures and stress of everyday life through dynamic school and community programs, practical education, resources, and youth recognition. A community leader among nonprofits, KidsMatter harnesses the power of partnership with parents, educators, and an extensive network of community resources to help kids and families thrive.