In 2008, I was touring with one of Canada’s foremost youth leadership development organizations when I met Joshua. At the time, Joshua was an elementary school student in Alberta. He was selected by his teachers to attend a workshop designed by the organization that I was facilitating. The workshop, called “Gift Plus Issue Equals Change”, encouraged youth participants to reflect on their own talents, and direct these talents toward a social issue of importance to create a project that would foster social change. At some point during our tour, we began to recognize that the “change” in the equation more often equaled literal change (currency) for the organization hosting the workshop than the insightful programs I was hoping would be created within the host schools. In other words, most students ended up designing a fundraiser. And I shouldn’t have expected anything any different. Why? Because prior to our workshops, we had just finished giving an hour-long presentation about the organization’s work abroad and the dire need for funding.
Joshua, challenged the “Gift + Issue” model. Joshua’s issue was elderly abuse. His grandmother had just suffered through a traumatic incident at a care center and had been moved to a new housing facility close to the elementary school where we were conducting the workshop. His gift? Gardening. After 20 minutes of brainstorming, Joshua returned to me with his plan. Using the soil created by the school’s composting program, Joshua would visit his Grandmother with his class and hold a regular gardening program combining the student population with the retirement home’s population. I was touched by Joshua’s thoughtfulness. But therein lies the challenge to our leadership training model. Although Joshua created a completely innovative project, apparently the goal of our “training”, his vision required funding from an organization or institution rather than generating funding for an organization. Joshua didn’t want to simply fundraise. Joshua wanted to lead. Ironically, our program couldn’t facilitate the change he was trying to create.
Following the tour, I kept thinking back to Joshua and wondered if our many youth engagement organizations and programs were doing a disservice to our young leaders. Most youth focused programs do not evaluate their own programming or, curiously, will report the impact of their programs in terms of dollars raised by youth, but not what the organization has contributed to young people in terms of real leadership skills and experience. What would happen if we reversed the flow of fundraising between youth and youth-focused organizations?
The present model is fundraising specific. Funds are generated by youth that ultimately flow out of their communities and to external organizations. The most common of these fundraising efforts, packaged as “leadership training”, are hosted by international organizations that use these funds abroad. While the funds themselves may be used for social change overseas, the truth is that fundraising initiatives rarely create the experience necessary to foster a lasting impact or change in values held by young people.
A new approach, if organizations are serious about their leadership rhetoric, would be to generate funds for youth-led community initiatives. As soon as funds are placed in the hands of a young leader, the context of leadership training is completely transformed. A successful initiative would require vision, project management skills, leadership structure, risk management, a need for securing mentor relationships, research, monitoring and evaluation, and continuity. Joshua’s project is a microcosm. Imagine organizations seeking out Joshuas around the country and providing them with the training and funding necessary to create and maintain a project that the students themselves have envisioned. What would create more lasting change in Joshua’s life and the lives of his peers; a bake sale, or leading a community initiative of their own making with the local retirement home?
Millions of fundraising dollars are being generated in our high schools and elementary schools by young leaders who are being told they are creating change. Fundraising is a low level form of engagement and moreover, little account is given to youth as to the impact of their donated dollars. We cannot keep selling fundraising programs as leadership training. If we are truly looking to fertilize a new generation of social entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators, we need to think critically about who is monopolizing access to our school systems and who is providing resources and funds to fuel youth leadership; not simply capitalize on it.
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I couldn’t agree with you more; so many times we hear the words ‘youth empowerment’ or ‘youth engagement’, but when looked at closely, the truth is that the youth involved are being directed to generate funds through bake sales and car washes. To truly engage and empower, we need to give young people ownership and help support them in building lasting skills such as project management, relationship building, research and evaluation, as mentioned above. Providing youth with a foundation and a supportive environment on which to build confidence, self awareness, vision and hard skills – that is true Youth Leadership. I believe that we are creating opportunities that align with your suggested new approach within our YMCA community and look forward to seeing this become more of the norm, rather than the exception. This was a refreshing read, thanks Matthew!
Hi Cat!
Thank you very much for your comment! You’re right, ownership is a big part of developing an engagement that creates a lasting impact. Much of the youth pedagogy research talks about supportive community and ownership in a youth-led project as fundamental to building a sense of citizenship and the development of skills. All the best to you and your programming with the YMCA!
Hi Matt! This was really interesting and insightful. You make a great and really relevant point. Thanks for passing this along!!
Mr. Cimone,
Hi, I’m 13 yr old Amanda and I agree with you. I have raised $160,000 to fix kids’ hearts with my Lemonade Stand every year, but more important is the fact that I raise awareness for a cause that I believe in and I support other causes too. I have shown people that you are “Never Too Little to Make a Big Difference in the World.” I have done it ‘one glass of Lemonade at a time.’ I have worked hard to be a role model for other people, both kids and adults. I believe that everyone has the power to make a change in this world and that no matter what cause you are helping, it will make a huge difference. It’s not really the amount but just the fact that you get out there and get involved in your community in some way to make our world a better place. Young people are the leaders of tomorrow, but we also have to recognize that young people are leaders of today. Together, we can teach everyone the importance of not only contributing to their own communities, but of being responsible global citizens.
Last year, for my annual lemonade stand and my 5 yr old little brother Joshua’s Cookie Counter, we set up a challenge for people across North America called the “Nothing’s Impossible Challenge” to encourage and salute people, including kids and families that get involved in something that they believe in and something that they feel passionate about. There are very few places that kids are recognized for the changes that they make in this world. We are never too little to make a difference, but we are often too young to help out and volunteer for organizations because they have a minimum age limit. With this challenge, kids will be able to log in to my website and list their
accomplishments. I also send a certificate to let them know that what they did was appreciated – it doesn’t have to involve fundraising. Actually only 1 of my 6 areas of Making a Difference is fundraising. I want everyone to know that they can make a difference too in so many different ways and that it doesn’t take a big event or a fundraiser to make big change but just the desire to to be involved and make a difference in your own world.
I also know that this will inspire families to get involved together. When a child wants to make this world a better place (fundraiser or not), the parents automatically want to be involved and it will make parents realize that making a difference is much more fun when it is done together as a family. By inspiring a child, I try to inspire so many more people around them by showing them what can be done with a glass of lemonade on a front lawn by anyone who just wants to try and work hard to make our world better.
Thank you Mr. Cimone for a great article
Hello Amanda,
Thank you for your amazing post! I didn’t realize lemonade was such a powerful fundraiser!
Your work is marvelous and this is the kind of leadership that I am talking about. You have gone beyond just fundraising and have founded a platform to help raise awareness and a means for people to get involved in something. You’ve gone from just creating funds to creating new opportunities beyond just fundraising. These opportunities are what keep people participating again later in life.
You mention your website, but you didn’t post it so I am including it here http://www.lemonade4heart.org
Thanks for showing that “Never Too Little to Make a Big Difference in the World” Or as, a favorite author of mine once said
“”Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien