Youth Organizing

We believe youth organizing is an effective strategy for creating transformative change in both individuals and communities. Our Youth Organizing grant program supports groups and organizations working on a wide range of issues that are defined and prioritized by their youth members and leaders. Click here to learn more about the cohort-based youth organizing initiative BLOC (Building Leadership and Organizing Capacity). Please be aware that PFF is currently providing multiyear support to a core group of grantees and is not in a position to support new applicants. However, if you are engaged in Youth Led Social Change work that you would like to share with us, please send an introductory email to Program Associate Mercedes MacAlpine at mmacalpine@perrinfamilyfoundation.org. 

Organizations interested in pursuing funding through this grant program must align with the following criteria and guidelines:

• Ensure the active participation and leadership of youth at all levels of organizational decision-making.
• Engage and continuously build the leadership capacity of young people in communities most affected by injustice.
• Demonstrate an intentional approach and model for deepening youth’s critical awareness and root cause analysis, including their understanding of race, class, gender and power as it connects to institutional or structural-oppression.
• Equip young people with organizing skills, including tools and strategies to analyze the power dynamics and issues unique to their community, conduct relevant research, build meaningful relationships and alliances with a broader base and allies in pursuit of common goals, and engage in thoughtful reflection about their learning and process.
• Support young people to develop, launch, and implement organizing campaigns designed to generate structural and systemic change on issues that young people have identified.