If you’re a lean funder looking to invest in the future of your community, consider adding youth philanthropy to your portfolio. Across the country, young people are engaging in philanthropy in ways that shape not only their own lives, but also the strength and resilience of their communities. These experiences foster leadership, deepen civic participation, and spark innovation, often earlier than we might expect.
Youth philanthropy, as defined by The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, includes “any program or action where youth promote the welfare of others,” whether through fundraising, grantmaking, advocacy, volunteering, or governance. The range is wide, spanning from preschool-aged children to undergraduate students, but the throughline is the same: young people learning that they can have a meaningful role in creating change.
Learning Early, Leading Later
For Fell Gutierrez of the Doll Family Foundation, that early exposure is exactly the point. The Foundation has expanded its support of community-based youth philanthropy efforts because, as they put it, “we believe in inspiring our future leaders early.” In the Foundation’s priority communities, youth philanthropy is not an add-on—it’s a way to help young people understand the impact they can have from the start.
A similar vision has guided the Community Foundation for MetroWest for more than two decades. Its Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program, which began with a single independent school, now engages 200 students each year across multiple middle and high schools. For board member Meg Ramsey, the goal is clear: “If we’re going to make the future of our community better, we need to teach the next generation they have the power to make a difference today and empower them to change the world tomorrow.”
Through YIP, students don’t just learn about philanthropy; they practice it. They explore community needs, raise funds, review grant applications, visit nonprofit organizations, and ultimately make decisions about where funding should go.
“I Wanted My Leadership to Mean Something”
The long-term impact of youth philanthropy is perhaps best understood through the voices of the young people themselves.
Francesca Dishueme participated in Magnified Giving’s high school program in 2020. Today, after graduating from The Ohio State University, she serves as the organization’s Advancement and Program Coordinator and is preparing to apply to law school.
“I was drawn to youth philanthropy because I wanted my leadership to mean something,” she reflects. “I was looking for a place where my curiosity and energy could create real impact.”
Just as importantly, the experience reshaped how she understood her own power. “The Magnified Giving experience wildly changed how I saw my power to contribute to the world,” she says. Through the program, she assessed community needs, met with and evaluated local organizations, and wrestled with the tradeoffs in grantmaking. “These weren’t abstract exercises; they were grounded in real people and real stakes.” That sense of agency has stayed with her. As she prepares for law school, the experience continues to inform how she thinks about community revitalization, systems, equity, and change.
An Investment in the Future
For Dishueme, youth philanthropy is not simply a meaningful experience; it’s essential to the future of the sector. “It should not be seen as a ‘nice-to-have,’” she says, “but as infrastructure for the future.”
Young people are already paying close attention to what is happening in their communities. With the right support, they can be informed partners in building solutions. Without it, there is a risk that the next generation will remain disconnected from philanthropy altogether.
There’s an old adage that says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now. For lean funders who want stronger, more connected communities, youth philanthropy is a way to start today and invest in impact that grows for years to come.
What This Means for Lean Funders
These examples point to something bigger than any one program. Youth philanthropy is not just a discrete initiative; it’s a way of cultivating leadership, community knowledge, and decision-making over time. It also challenges traditional assumptions about who holds expertise, showing that when young people are trusted as contributors, they bring valuable insight and energy to shaping solutions.
For funders considering this work, a few themes emerge from the experiences of peers and participants alike:
- Start by learning and partnering. Funders like the Doll Family Foundation have leaned on peer relationships, partnerships, and shared insights to grow their approach over time.
- Stay close to the work. Regular contact with grantees and programs helps funders see progress, adapt, and deepen impact.
- Center young people’s voices. The most effective programs meet youth where they are, focus on the issues they care about, and ask them directly what works.
- Give real responsibility—not just exposure. Experiences like YIP show that when young people are trusted with decision-making, the learning and impact are deeper.
- Recognize this as long-term infrastructure. As Dishueme’s experience shows, youth philanthropy shapes how people understand their own power and role in creating change.
These are not complex strategies, but they do require trust, flexibility, and a willingness to share power.
*Source: A Comprehensive Field Scan of Youth Philanthropy to Inform Its Support and Development, December 2022
About the Author
Jeff Glebocki is Founder & Lead Advisor, Strategy + Action/Philanthropy.