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YOUTH PHILANTHROPY: Nicasio School students read persuasive arguments to their peers last week, part of a program coordinated by the West Marin Fund.     Susan Adler

A project called Giving Through Youth, which teaches hands-on philanthropy to West Marin students, has reached its third year. Funded by Point Reyes Station residents Richard Kirschman and Doris Ober and orchestrated by the West Marin Fund, the program is now offered at Nicasio, Bolinas-Stinson and West Marin elementary schools. “Kids need to know that even if they’re in the third grade, they can make a difference in the community,” said Catherine Porter, the West Marin Fund’s outgoing executive director. Last week, over a dozen novice philanthropists in Nicasio delivered presentations to their peers on who should receive the $3,000 donation. In pairs, students gave overviews of seven nonprofits, including Audubon Canyon Ranch, the Bolinas Children’s Center and the Institute for Bird Populations. (Making a case for why the money should be given to the bird institute, one student explained how birds mitigate pesky insect populations, and pleaded to the crowd: “They’re saviors!”) Back in their classrooms, students voted for the top two worthy recipients. Damena Ware, who teaches grades three, four and five, said she began to integrate the project into her social studies curriculum last month. Her students selected several nonprofits to study and reached out to the groups’ directors by email. After the presentations, Ms. Ware’s class voted a three-way tie between the Turtle Island Restoration Network, St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Bolinas Children’s Center. The class then decided to split the money three ways, instead of eliminating one contender. “It really showed how much they learned from going through this experience,” she said. Mr. Kirschman said he would like to see the project expand. “As far as I’m concerned, it could grow into giving $10,000. Why not? There are a lot of people in West Marin who would want to give through kids,” he said. “Doris and I will fund this in our wills. Even after we’re dead and gone, our estates will put money into this project and keep it alive.”