S.U.R.F. Board
Students understandingfutures.
DAVIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Empowering Youth to Lead Through Philanthropy
While Davie Community Foundation focuses its unrestricted dollars on youth in several ways, one of the most impactful is sponsoring the S.U.R.F. (Students Understanding Real Futures) Board, a youth grant-making board led entirely by high school students.
The S.U.R.F. Board raises money and awards grants to youth-led projects in Davie County, giving students the opportunity to:
- Learn about philanthropy—giving their time, talents, and treasures to help others
- Understand community needs and the responsibilities of giving
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Build leadership skills that will serve them into adulthood
In 2025, S.U.R.F. awarded $7,200 to fund five youth-led projects.
What we do
How S.U.R.F Works
In May and June, new board members are selected by the current board through an application and interview process. In the summer, the S.U.R.F. Board meets for a team building retreat to get to know new members and develop a trusting relationship with each other. S.U.R.F. meets monthly following the retreat.
In the fall, S.U.R.F. gets busy planning the fundraiser that supports their grant making, the POPSICLE 5K. In February, the grant application process for youth-led grants gets under way. Church youth groups, school clubs and organizations, and other groups who have projects serving youth, may submit their applications to request funding.
In April, S.U.R.F. makes decisions about the best use of the money they’ve raised and awards grants to successful applicants. They exercise good stewardship in the granting of funds and perform regular follow-ups to see that grants are successful.
S.U.R.F. Board
Mission Statement
We are S.U.R.F. Board and we will be philanthropists and help the youth of Davie County!
2025-2026
S.U.R.F. Board
Seniors: Emily Bueno, Alex Hernandez, Clara Phelps, Ava Jane Tomlinson, Logan Zulegar
Juniors: Ava Brown, Xaiden Groff, Zach Hirata, Mack Ridenhour, Carden Stroud
Sophomores: Sylas Johnson, Ola Leszczuk, Natalie Quance, Olivia Rareshide, Trista Yang
Freshmen: Berkley Brown, Iris Marion, Ruby Marion, Daniela Morales, Nirat Patel, Grace Turner, Graham Weaver
S.U.R.F. Advisor: Tami Daniel
S.U.R.F. Liaison: Bridgette Dillard
Our Story
The History of S.U.R.F.
The S.U.R.F Board is truly a youth-led organization, beginning in January 2005 when a diverse group of students met to discuss the idea of a youth-led philanthropy movement.
“In the beginning, we were shocked that adults were asking us what we thought and were really interested. We weren’t used to being asked… But these people seemed to want our opinions. We were amazed to think that we might be able to give away money.”
– Meagen Brookman, Founding Member
The group conducted 28 focus groups with peers to learn about issues facing youth in Davie County and presented their findings in May 2005. By August, the S.U.R.F. Board was officially formed and began awarding grants to address the identified needs.
While the S.U.R.F. Board operates independently, members serve in an advisory role to the Davie Community Foundation. All funding decisions and official actions are subject to review and approval by Foundation staff and the Board of Directors.