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WE ARE FAMILY FOUNDATION IS A PROUD COLLABORATOR ON THE FIRST OF ITS KIND STUDY THAT REVEALS THE PRESSING NEEDS OF YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS WORLDWIDE.

Young people are creating change everywhere we look. Some of them dedicate everything they have to tackle the most pressing issues of our time; it is their work and way of life. They are changemakers, activists, social innovators, disruptors, dreamers, doers, people who believe social and environmental change is possible. They are Possibilists.

The Possibilists, Initiated by ChangemakerXchange, is a global study driven by the desire to better understand the lives and realities of young changemakers. It was conducted in 2021 by an alliance of 16 of the world’s leading youth social innovation networks, including Ashoka, The Diana Award, Global Changemakers, The Kofi Annan Foundation, MasterPeace, Obama Foundation, One Young World, Peace First, Social Impact Award, Social Shifters, SOS Children’s Villages International, UNLEASH, We Are Family Foundation, Yunus&Youth, and YSI – Young Sustainable Impact and supported by SAP Foundation and Google org.

The study surveyed a diverse group of about 800 young social innovators aged 16-35 from 137 countries who all lead impact-focused initiatives, social businesses, non-profits and campaigns related to every single one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, from lobbying for the rights of migrant construction workers to supporting sexual violence survivors. 

Key findings: 

  • Young changemakers are sacrificing their financial security and wellbeing to change the world. 

  • Financial issues: 66% cannot compensate themselves beyond a token amount for their work on their initiatives (41% not at all), and only 9% can live off their ventures. 

  • Wellbeing issues: 59% have experienced some degree of burnout since they started work on their initiative.

  • 64% feel their work is negatively affected by systemic inequalities.

  • The COVID-19 crisis has increased both their capacity and desire to make a change in the world.

  • Only 3% have been forced to close down activities due to COVID; the majority are innovating, adapting and responding to the challenge.

Recommendations to support changemakers

The report outlines eight recommendations for organizations to better support changemakers on a personal level and in their work with their initiatives and organizations.

Support programs for youth social entrepreneurship need to: 

  • Focus on young social innovators as people and on their personal needs and not just on their initiatives; 

  • Ensure the personal financial stability of young social innovators; 

  • Offer wellbeing support, and avoid placing additional or unnecessary pressure and demands on young social innovators; 

  • Strengthen the local–international connections of young social innovators and how their work helps to translate global matters into concrete local action;

  • Focus on working to reduce systemic inequalities;

  • Give young social innovators a seat at the table by facilitating access to decision-makers and grant young social innovators access to places of power and influence. 

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For more info visit thepossibilists.org