To register, you’ll need to complete a participant survey, a liability waiver (for media and safety, to be signed by a parent/guardian if you’re under 18), and a direct deposit/W9 form (if we’re able to offer a monetary gift). If you’re new to YLI or if a program is full, you can join the waitlist, and we’ll contact you if space becomes available. Returning participants may be invited to rejoin, and some programs may require a one-on-one interview or screening to discuss your availability, interests and goals.

Yes, you can still join by registering for our waitlist. If your availability changes, please inform your adult ally as soon as possible.

Dear YLI Parent/Guardian: Your child is a participant in our YLI program. This year, our organization is able to offer our YLI youth participants a monetary gift for the time, energy, and effort they dedicate to leading projects and campaigns that impact their school communities. In order to process their monetary gift, we will need some information. Each youth must fill out a W9 form to receive a check. WIf you wish to receive direct deposit, please complete a direct deposit form. We are asking that you support your young person in filling this out and returning to the respective adult ally for their program.

Monetary gifts typically start at $150, although this can vary depending on the program.

The specific amount is determined based on the funding available for the program during the year. 

Factors such as enrollment and successful program completion may also influence the amount of the monetary gift provided.

Depending on the program, youth may receive 1-2 installments during the program period. For school-year programs, program gifts are typically disbursed in November and May.

Monetary gifts may take at least 2.5-3 weeks to process and complete. The steps include the following:

1. Program Lead/Mentor sends request form: 1 Business Day

2. Program Manager/Director approves the request: 2-3 Business Days

3. yli Finance Team processes and approves the request: 3-7 Business Days

4. Youth receives payment: Min 2-7 Business Days (see below for additional timelines ranging from fastest delivery date to least fastest)

   1. Direct Deposit (bank routing/account numbers provided by the recipient on direct deposit form):  2 Business Days

   2. Check delivered to home (address provided by the recipient on W9): 4 Business Days

   3. Check delivered to yli office for staff to deliver: 4-7 Business days 

Please note that yli business days/hours are M-F between 9am-6pm. This timeline is an average process and assumes all paperwork and payment requests are correct. 

Keep in mind that our finance team might have additional payment requests from other programs and offices to process at the same time as yours. If there are any errors that need to be fixed, it could take longer for your request to get processed. That's why it's super important to double-check all your info before sending it in and/or updating your Program Lead/Mentor about any changes as soon as possible. 

If you selected direct deposit, please make sure to enter the correct routing/account numbers and email address for Bill.com.  After 3 failed attempts yli's Finance team will not reissue a payment. yli's Finance team will notify your Program Lead/Mentor after the first failed payment attempt and ask them to confirm the payment info and we will distribute the check to you in person. You will be asked to sign off on a roster to confirm receipt. 

PLEASE NOTE: None of our payees is required to open an account with Bill.com as a prerequisite for receiving payments from YLI, either by check or by electronic fund transfer. You do not need to make an account with Bill.com

*Correcting an error takes quite a bit of time as there may be youth in different programs and offices still waiting for theirs as well. Please note that it may take at least three weeks to correct any issues once they've been identified - this is why it's important to double and triple-check official documents before turning them in! We appreciate your patience and we will update you as soon as possible. Your gift is on its way - thanks again for your dedication to our work!

If you selected to receive a check, please make sure to enter the correct home address.  You will not be able to deposit a check after 90 days. If you haven't received your gift, please notify your program lead/mentor. yli's Finance team will notify your Program Lead/Mentor after the first failed payment attempt and ask them to confirm the payment info and we will distribute the check to you in person. You will be asked to sign off on a roster to confirm receipt. 

*Correcting an error takes quite a bit of time as there may be youth in different programs and offices still waiting for theirs as well. Please note that it may take at least three weeks to correct any issues once they've been identified - this is why it's important to double and triple-check official documents before turning them in! We appreciate your patience and we will update you as soon as possible. Your gift is on its way - thanks again for your dedication to our work!

If your address has changed, please notify your program lead/mentor as soon as possible.  If your address is not updated in time, there might be a delay in distributing your monetary gift.

At this time, cash payments are only available in rare cases to ensure the safety/security and efficiency of your gift. Let us know about your situation, and we’ll do our best to figure out the best solution for you.

If you need your monetary gift/community service hours by a specific date and time, please let your Program Lead/Mentor know as soon as possible along with any important details:

• Situation

• Specific dates & timeframes that need to be met

• Recommendations for areas of support from your Program Lead/Mentor.
  Give us 2-3 alternative "gameplans" to follow if your ideal situation may not work out. 

Waiting til the last minute might delay the process of getting your gift/hours by your expected timeframe/deadline.

Yes! Discuss with your program lead/mentor about your options.

Depending on the program, we may offer:

• Community Service Hours (if you complete the full program, you can earn up to at least 20 hours for participating)

• Letters of recommendation

• Snacks (we provide pizza, chips, and other snacks)

• Swag (we have yli AND program T-shirts, stickers etc.)