This week, students distributed more than $50,000 as part of the Schnitzer Cares Student Grantmaking program — placing grants into the hands of nonprofits across the North Coast. 

The student grantmaking program is a project funded and operated by the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, aimed at helping young people recognize and respond to community needs. Since 1997, it’s helped distribute $6.3 million to over 600 nonprofits in Oregon, including $1.1 million raised by groups in Clatsop and Umatilla counties and the Portland metro area during the 2024-25 school year. 

Through the program, student groups identify a community issue — anything from immigration to the environment to homelessness — review grant applications and interview nonprofit representatives to decide how to award funds from the foundation. Student groups are also encouraged to raise $1,500 of their own funds for the project. The process begins in the fall and culminates in the spring.

“We want them to be empowered and make those decisions on their own, and you give them the responsibility and the authority, and it’s worked well for 28 years,” said Jordan Schnitzer, president of the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation. 

This year, more than 120 students from four schools in the county — Astoria High School, Astoria Middle School, Seaside High School and Warrenton High School — participated, awarding $54,590 to area nonprofits at a Tuesday event at the Astoria Golf and Country Club. The groups focused on organizations that support individuals experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic and sexual violence and addiction prevention and recovery services. 

Recipients included Nourish Those in Need, Bikers Against Child Abuse, The Harbor, the Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon, Clatsop Community Action, Alano Club of Portland, Assistance League of the Columbia Pacific and the North Coast Food Web. 

Nourish Those in Need received the largest award — a $10,803 grant from Astoria High School. The nonprofit, which started around three years ago, serves a daily hot meal to unhoused people in Seaside. Volunteers purchase ingredients, prepare meals and serve them to people living at the city’s designated homeless camping area. Founder and Executive Director Lindsey Morrison said the funds will be used to purchase more food ingredients.

“We are so grateful to the students for choosing us,” Morrison told The Astorian in an email. 

The Harbor, an advocacy group for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, also received nearly $10,000, including $5,787 from Seaside High School and $4,000 from Warrenton High School. 

“The Schnitzer grant is actually my favorite grant, because we do so much prevention work here at The Harbor,” said Deputy Director Susan Prettyman Hartill. “When we have youth at Seaside High School and at Warrenton High School, you know, when they see that and recognize that, and then in turn fund us for that work, it tells us that what we’re doing is really making a difference.”

Prettyman Hartill said the nonprofit will be splitting the funds between its advocacy center and The Dock, a youth space that opened last year. On behalf of the Harbor staff, board of directors and all of the survivors the organization works with, she thanked both high schools for their contributions. 

Viviana Matthews, executive director of Clatsop Community Action, expressed a similar sense of gratitude. The nonprofit, which specializes in providing food, housing and energy assistance and operates the Columbia Inn, received $3,000 from Warrenton High School and $2,000 from Astoria High School. 

“These students put a lot of hard work and determination into raising these funds and it really does show the value of the students in our community,” Matthews said in an email. “Their efforts and fundraising for the grant will go towards helping low-income individuals and families in our county and makes a world of a difference.”

In addition to supporting local nonprofits, the grantmaking program also provides a learning opportunity for youth. Lauren Mallett, an English teacher at Warrenton High School who served as an adviser for the school’s grantmaking group, said she sees the program and partnership as “truly student-centered.”

She said a highlight was watching students interview representatives from Clatsop Community Action, The Harbor, the Assistance League and the North Coast Food Web.

“These teenagers conducted the conversations with poise and intention. It’s my belief that young people rise to the expectations asked of them,” Mallett told The Astorian in an email. “Schnitzer Cares is a program that sets the bar high — and it’s incredible to watch them rise to the occasion of giving back to our community.”

Jessica West, an adviser at Astoria Middle School, worked with 30 leadership students focused on providing comprehensive support to young people and families facing addiction. She said the program played an important role in elevating their voices, providing an authentic learning experience and countering narratives of teen apathy and disengagement.

“Young people need opportunities such as this to grow their skills and get involved,” West said in an email. “Their thoughtful consideration, conversation, and at times passionate debate about how to best award the funds was inspiring to witness. Experiences like ours are amazing evidence of the capacity, creativity, leadership, and heart of our youth.”