Gonzaga Selected for The Allstate Foundation Youth Service ...

Gonzaga University is excited to announce that it received a $20,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation in collaboration with the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity (CELO) to support youth-led, youth-driven community service among students. This grant is part of The Allstate Foundation's national efforts to transform how we engage, equip, and prepare youth to participate in community service.

"The Allstate Foundation supports organizations like Gonzaga University's Center for Community Engagement and Payne Center for Leadership which play an indispensable role in reinforcing the significance of youth-led service and equipping young people with the vital tools needed to serve their communities," said Greg Weatherford II, Youth Empowerment Program Officer for The Allstate Foundation. "We hope Gonzaga University's efforts continue to inspire more youth to serve and accelerate positive change where they live and beyond."

"We are grateful to The Allstate Foundation for this investment in our students' commitment to service and leadership. This funding enables our students to develop and implement programs that serve the campus and broader community in addressing issues of food insecurity, social inclusion, and access to basic needs," shared Molly Ayers, Assistant Dean of the Center for Community Engagement.

Funding for Gonzaga University is part of the "A Return to Service" initiative designed to catalyze change while positioning youth-led, youth-driven service as essential for improving communities. Funding at Gonzaga's Center for Community Engagement and Payne Center for leadership will be used to fund student-led projects like the Campus Food Pantry, Campus Kitchens Community Meal Program, and Gonzaga Unified Sports and Recreation (GUSR) a program that brings college students together with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to address social isolation and create spaces of belonging.

The Allstate Foundation's support allows Gonzaga University to increase the level of investment in student-led initiatives that address critical campus and community needs. These new funds will provide resources necessary to develop and launch these innovative student projects.

"I'm incredibly grateful for the support from The Allstate Foundation grant," said Erin Kelly, a Gonzaga history major graduating in 2025 and a leader in the GUSR program. "The grant will allow our programs to grow, providing more opportunities for college students to work with members of the Spokane community to create positive, lasting change."

More about the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity (CELO)

CELO envisions a world where high-quality opportunities are distributed as equally as the abundance of talent in our communities, and every young person can develop the essential capacities to navigate an increasingly complex world, reach their potential, and contribute to their communities. We accomplish this by integrating the science of learning and cutting-edge research with program innovation and community co-creation of learning solutions. Learn more about CELO.

More about The Allstate Foundation

The Allstate Foundation empowers people and communities so they can thrive. Established in 1952, The Foundation takes bold actions and inspires people to act by empowering youth to serve and improve communities, working to close the racial wage gap, and disrupting the cycle of relationship abuse. The Foundation also supports nonprofit leaders through the Nonprofit Leadership Center.