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Young people have ideas - grand ones - about what this city needs. Most just lack one crucial component: a bank account with enough zeros to fund the ideas themselves.

Many of Greensboro's philanthropic efforts have come from icons of generosity, people named Koury, Benjamin, Bryan and Weaver whose names grace academic buildings, roads and conference centers in the Gate City and beyond.

But for young professionals with more ideas than cash flow, there is a way to get a seat at the table of leaders shaping the future of Greensboro.

The Future Fund, an initiative of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, was created in 1999 as a way for 25- to 45-year-olds to pool their money in a collective effort to improve Greensboro. Since 2000 , the group has given out more than 50 grants worth more than $300,000 and has banked about $800,000 in a permanent endowment to empower generations of givers to come.

"The vision is for there to always be money set aside for young people to control in Greensboro," said Mindy Oakley , vice president for philanthropic services with the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro. "It gives every generation an opportunity to invest in their city."

Something for everyone

Anyone can be a philanthropist, said Ann Lineweaver , chairwoman of the foundation's board of directors when the Future Fund was founded.

"You don't have to give big money to be able to give money away," she said. "You can do it in all kinds of ways."

For members of the Future Fund, benevolence comes in increments of $125 . That's the price of an annual membership for a single person; a couple's membership costs $250 .

"It's not a huge financial commitment; it's just enough to make you notice," said Garland Graham, a member and a grant recipient along with her husband, Gary. "When you combine a lot of people donating $250, it's a big deal."

The fund's first leaders were eager to get the program off the ground, but they had two seemingly contradictory goals: to grow the endowment as fast as possible but also have money for young people to give away immediately.

They solved the dilemma by recruiting donors - some anonymous, some private citizens, some major organizations - to match the amount of membership fees collected every year.

The Future Fund's grant-making committee disperses the money in the form of grants. So far, the giving has ranged from $32,500 to $50,000 each year.

The money raised from membership fees is propelled into the fund's endowment, with the goal of reaching $1 million by 2010 . The group made major strides toward that goal last year under the leadership of Jon Bell , when more than $300,000 was added to the group's coffers.

The fund has attracted members from all over Greensboro. Some are the younger generations of prominent Greensboro families and businesses. A few are elected officials. Others are regular folks passionate about seeing Greensboro be the best it can.

In the Future Fund, all are on equal footing, with the same voting power on the direction of the fund's grants in any given year.

"The democratic feeling gives it a sense of membership for a small membership fee," said Joe Soler , 36 , who joined the group last fall.

"The group has an energy that has this can-do, progressive feel to it," he said, comparable to the vibe he felt when he lived in more metropolitan cities. As a new member this year, Ivan Canada joined the grant-making committee, which awarded grants for environmental initiatives in the city.

"It allows you to see what the needs of a community are and where there are some shortfallings," said Canada, 30 .

The organization fit Canada's interest in philanthropy. "It adds some legitimacy behind the cause of keeping young professionals in the area," he said.

The chance to offer something other than time attracted Cecilia Thompson, 25.

"I feel I can be just as much or more of a contributing member back doing this than going and volunteering every Saturday morning," Thompson said.

And for incoming Steering Committee Chairwoman Denise Turner , the opportunity of empowerment tugged at her heart.

"I was really looking forward to the opportunity to be with some professionals and be empowered by using our own money to add to the community," said Turner, 34 . "I was already contributing to other nonprofits and such but didn't have as much of a hand as I do in Future Fund in directing where those funds go."

Launching and growing

For anyone who has cracked open their laptop in Center City Park to send a quick e-mail, called the legal information line at the Women's Resource Center for advice, found an internship on the Triad InternNet or seen a movie at the Carolina Theatre, part of the thanks can go to this group of young professionals.

"You can walk around town now and point to things the Future Fund has done," Thompson said.

In eight years, the Future Fund has carved out a niche for launching programs, giving money to new endeavors by established nonprofits or taking a chance on a new venture.

That was the case when the fund gave money to Red Dog Farm, a large-animal rescue organization run by Gary and Garland Graham. As a new organization, the farm received an $850 grant two years ago for startup marketing materials.

"That really gave us a huge advantage in getting started and set that momentum," Garland Graham said. "Once we sent all that information out, it snowballed. Without that initial grant, it would have taken more time."

Fast-forward two years, and the rescue agency has found homes for close to 500 animals , moved to a larger space near Bur-Mil Park and has an employee on the payroll.

Would the group have grown as fast without the help of the Future Fund? No way, Graham said.

"It has become a full-fledged operation in about one-tenth of the time I expected," she said.

Now Graham feels confident enough to solicit grants from larger, more prominent philanthropic groups.

"Most grant-making organizations will not make a grant to a nonprofit until it's already up and running with financial statements and can put on a good presentation," Garland said.

"The Future Fund has taken the opposite approach," she said, by helping nonprofits with a great idea get started. "Hardly anyone else will do that."

The young philanthropists also have been willing to push the boundaries.

Like the $10,000 grant to the Guilford Green Foundation in 2004 to launch four Green Queen Bingo events to raise money for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups.

That fundraiser, now in its fourth year, has become the Guilford Green Foundation's biggest event, paying forward thousands of dollars to other causes.

"(The Future Fund) is one of the few organizations in town that will take a leap of faith and do some risky grants," said Thompson, who is also the executive director of the Guilford Green Foundation.

But even the simplest grant requests affect Greensboro communities. This year, the Future Fund gave $10,000 to the Glenwood Neighborhood Association to provide residents with rain barrels to promote environmentally friendly landscaping.

"A rain barrel may not seem that innovative," Canada said. "But take the layers from around it."

Some people equate environmental thinking with class privilege. That's a misconception, Canada said.

"Glenwood is the most diverse neighborhood in Greensboro," he said. "A lot of people would say $100 for a rain barrel, that's nothing. This is a neighborhood where that $100 needs to be used for something else."

The grant provided enough money to distribute 96 rain barrels to Glenwood residents, with two more barrels reserved for the Glenwood Branch Library. So far, residents have claimed more than half of the barrels by attending an hourlong workshop on how to set up the barrel and landscaping techniques.

It's another project boosted by the Future Fund.

"We could have done part of the program, but we would have had to have people pay for their own barrels," said Becky Kates , secretary of the Greater Glenwood Neighborhood Association. "Probably only a fraction of the number of barrels that will end up in the neighborhood would have been purchased."

Looking to the future

As the group heads toward its 10th anniversary, members of the Future Fund are looking for ways to weave the group into the fabric of the city.

A newly approved initiative will allow college students and first-time members 25 and younger to join for $50 .

With the current economic downturn, there's hope that prospective members will still see the Future Fund as a worthy endeavor. And as the roster grows, members hope to increase its diversity so the group better reflects the community.

"Membership at this young professional age level can put their finger on what they're doing to help the community," Turner said. "As a young person, you're not going to have that access outside the Future Fund the way you have it in the Future Fund."

Members hope that access will last for generations, said the current s teering c ommittee chairman.

"It's not future as in 'I'm the future of this community,'" said Chairman Justin Conrad . "It's future as in 'for the future.'"

Contact Lanita Withers at 373-7071 or lanita.withers@news-record.com