The State of Youth Philanthropy 2020 – 2021

Youth philanthropy and youth grantmaking programs bring together young people, typically from a definedcommunity, school system , or region to learn about social problems and make funding decisions. The onset ofthe COVID-19 pandemic led to abrupt changes in the way that these young people and program leaders work,learn, engage, and live. As we transitioned to virtual learning and programming, youth philanthropy programsalso had to pivot. Further, as we moved through Spring 2020, it became clear we would not simply be goingback to “normal” in Fall 2020 or for months thereafter.At the Sillerman Center, we have long researched the ways in which youth philanthropy programs thrive, howthey support and give power to young people, and how they can and should be a model for democratizing thephilanthropic sector. Our past research focused on these programs more broadly, in From Beneficiary to ActiveAgent: How Youth-Led Grantmaking Benefits Young People, Their Communities, and the Philanthropic Secto