Are you part of a youth-led social movement and looking for ideas about how to resource your work? Or a donor, philanthropist, or institution championing youth power? If so - this space is for you! Here you will find tools, connections, and new ideas for both youth activists and their allies.

What is this playbook about? 

This Resourcing Youth-led Groups and Movements playbook resulted from a year of research. We listened to what activists, donors, youth allies and other enabling organisations said about realities, trends and potential solutions for mobilising funding and non-financial resources for young activists, especially in the global south. 


Read the stories of Lebo, Amanda, Dumiso, Priscilla, Elena, Christian, and Bonnie, as they share their experiences and challenges sustaining their work, echoed by young leaders across Latin America and Africa. You will find creative exercises you can use, that invite youth and donors to rethink worldviews and principles around resourcing civil society in the 21st century.

How can this playbook help you? 
For youth-led groups or movements:
  • Practise team exercises to strengthen thinking around resourcing.
  • Explore how to go beyond donor support and integrate alternatives for sustainability.
  • Improve communication with donors.
  • Reflect on key themes & learning that emerged from our research ‘Landscape and Trend Analysis on Youth-led Groups and Movements in Latin America and Africa’. 

For donors and institutions supporting youth:

  • Better understand challenges that youth-led groups and movements face resourcing their work.
  • Reflect on your role in supporting youth-led groups and movements.
  • Design strategies to support youth groups and movements of different shapes, sizes, and characters.
  • Improve your communication with youth-led groups and movements.
Taking action

The playbook outlines recommendations for:

Donors, allies, and potential enablers:

  1. We invite you to truly listen to young activists and be more thoughtful, curious, and open to different narratives.
  2. Make sure that your programs provide resources and support for areas that are key to young people, including individual livelihoods, mental health, flexibility, art, core funding, as well as training, guidance, and mentorship opportunities.
  3. Build quality relationships with youth-led groups and movements, communicating with them with clarity, respect, and care. Make sure to balance the power of your words and promises

Youth organisers:

  1. Continue experimenting, being creative, and pursuing sustainability in a broader sense.
  2. Continue creating communities with other groups and organisations to explore new resourcing models and promote boundaries, self-care, and collective care together. 
  3. If you are working with donors, be selective and communicate your values, offer, challenges, and needs openly and honestly.

Read more in the recommendations section of the playbook and do the exercises included in each story, which can help you take the first steps towards change!

Join the conversation

Did you read the playbook, one story or did some of the exercises? We want to know what surprised you, inspired you or helped you in your work. Send us your feedback to .

Read more in the recommendations section of the playbook and do the exercises included in each story, which can help you take the first steps towards change!

Learn more

We invite you to check out these additional materials from our research on resourcing youth-led movements and groups.

CIVICUS Youth is all about collaboration, inspiration, and information-sharing. We work with people who can contribute their individual energies and perspectives, and we want your opinions and big ideas to make civil society stronger. Share your insights on meaningful youth inclusion to the CIVICUS Youth United! Facebook group.

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Webinar: Resourcing Youth-led groups and Movements in the 21st Century

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Consultation report: Landscape and Trend Analysis on Resourcing Youth-led Groups and Movement across Latin America and Africa

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Blog: Youth movements and funders need to learn to understand each other better

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