The Youth Organizers and Movement Leaders who were Visionary Freedom Fund Power Table members came together to write this open letter.
The Visionary Freedom Fund (VFF) was established in 2019 to ensure that frontline communities have the resources, capacities, support, infrastructure, and relationships they need to develop and implement inspiring long-term strategies to transform the youth justice system while forging accountable relationships between philanthropy and movements. The Fund engaged youth organizers, adult movement leaders, and youth funders to identify innovative solutions and spotlight impactful projects and ideas at the intersection of youth, gender, immigration, and economic justice.
Since its conception, the VFF has granted $3,620,000 to 24 youth-led or youth-centered BIPOC organizations leading visionary work around youth issues. However, this is a time-bound project that has completed its work, and organizers at the table felt it vital to leave their learnings and reflections as a call to action for the philanthropic field. If you want to learn more, you can register your interest at the bottom of this letter. We will also have a broader learning call with the sector to share learnings and accomplishments in 2025.
In philanthropic circles, funders often discuss impact measurement, evidence-based giving, and the importance of listening to communities. Yet, too often, these conversations remain trapped in a transactional mindset when we need radical transformation, commitment, and relationship building.
Let's be clear: The current model of philanthropy—where money flows from the top down, with predetermined metrics and short-term horizons—isn't just outdated. It's actively impeding our collective ability to create lasting social change.
This model stacks the decks against youth movements and consolidates power into the institutions that got us here. We need to move from transactional relationships focused on deliverables to transformative partnerships built on trust, shared power, and a radical reimagining of what's possible.
As youth organizers, community leaders, and advocates, we must fundamentally reshape philanthropy to create lasting social change. This means moving beyond token representation and quarterly reports to genuine power-sharing with the communities we serve.
And let us be clear: If you're going to enter into a radical project, you need to be ready to be radical in your approach.
The current reality is sobering. In most philanthropic spaces, relationships are defined by grant cycles rather than genuine partnerships. Decisions about youth programs are made without youth input. Resources come with strings attached and short-term horizons that prioritize quick wins over sustainable change. When young people are included, it's frequently in advisory roles without real decision-making power—another transaction rather than a genuine relationship.
Even more telling is how foundations approach community engagement. While many express commitment to "community-led" work, their governance structures and funding practices tell a different story. Grant periods rarely extend beyond 2-3 years, making building the deep, trusting relationships necessary for transformative change and power shifts nearly impossible.
Youth are asked to volunteer their time and expertise without any or sometimes meager pay, while foundation and nonprofit leadership draw salaries that allow them to control the paths of their futures, a privilege many system-impacted youth organizers do not get to share.
We are entering a time in our social and political landscape where wealth will be consolidated at the top, and transformative work that seeks to disrupt oligarchy and unjust power dynamics will be systematically and strategically ignored. Youth organizers are on the frontlines demanding that power holders be accountable to us and our communities. Transformative work being done by the grantees of the VFF covered topics such as sustainable housing, dignified immigration policies, gender-affirming healthcare, and food sovereignty, to name a few. In the coming years, there will be a systematic effort to dismantle the local and federal progress made in these areas. Our communities and youth organizers are gearing up for and are already in a long and strenuous fight.
Furthermore, building out the leadership of young organizers requires an intergenerational approach to movement building that requires both resources and time to actively develop. We have been willing to use the work of youth leaders, but unwilling to ensure their work continues sustainably through proper pay or investment in the development of their leadership. Funders cannot just come and go from youth spaces; there must be commitment, investment, and long-term relationship building. If leaders are more focused on securing resources than building intergenerational pathways of leadership, our movements will find themselves without pipelines of leadership to continue the work in years to come.
These practices reflect a deeply ingrained power imbalance that undermines our sector's effectiveness and ability to bring about substantial long-term political or social change. Initiatives succeed when we move beyond transactional relationships to build genuine partnerships in which communities own the initiative and young people are empowered as leaders to self-determine and build individual and collective liberation. Yet, we resist the structural changes necessary to make this happen.
It is not good enough for philanthropic organizations to profit from the dynamics of these crises, allowing their endowments to grow larger and larger while these same conditions suffocate on-the-ground work. If we are truly seeking to disrupt these dynamics, philanthropy must be doing more now than ever to transform their operations and move vital resources to organizers fighting for not only the survival of their communities but also the opportunity to thrive.
That's why we're calling for a fundamental shift in how philanthropy operates:
- First, commit to long-term investments that allow time to build genuine relationships and trust. This means moving beyond the typical one- to three-year-longyear grant cycle to 10-year commitments that create space for true transformation.
- Second, young people should be compensated at a thriving wage rate for their time and expertise. If we value youth voice, we must demonstrate that through more than words. Young people's insights are not free consultations—they deserve to be paid for their contributions.
- Third, real decision-making power must be transferred to youth leaders and their communities. The adage "nothing about us without us" must become our sector's guiding principle. If decisions about youth programs are being made, young people must have seats at the table—with genuine authority.
We recognize this transformation won't be easy. Shifting from transactional to transformative relationships requires a radical change in how we think about and practice philanthropy. It means reimagining power dynamics, getting comfortable with uncertainty, and having the courage to try new approaches.
To those who say this is too radical: We say that maintaining the status quo is radically insufficient to address the challenges we face.
The time for incremental change has passed. We need bold action to create a philanthropic sector that truly serves its mission.
The future of philanthropy must be built on transformative relationships, trust in communities, and respect for youth leadership. Philanthropy must commit to a fundamental reshaping of how wealth and capital are governed. Our industry cannot exist merely to manage wealth. We must redistribute wealth to reshape the dynamics of injustice that youth organizers are constantly calling our attention to in this country. This means being willing to take transformative steps to reshape how we work, relate, and share power. Anything less perpetuates the very inequities we claim to address.
If you are interested in being a part of the change and hearing more about this work, let us know on this form: Carrying on the Mission of the Visionary Freedom Fund