DOI
10.9707/1944-5660.1725
Key Points
Traditional philanthropy has largely been top-down, with communities — including youth — having limited decision-making power. Despite philanthropy’s recent shift toward participatory approaches, young people in these historically excluded communities are often ignored as contributors to philanthropic strategy.
Youth-Possible Philanthropy™ (YPP) offers a new, emerging theoretical framework that proposes to shift this dynamic by positioning youth as co-creators and possibility catalysts in philanthropic governance and strategy. YPP is grounded in possibility development, participatory approaches, and trust-based philanthropy.
The article provides strategies for operationalizing YPP. Case examples illustrate how YPP can foster authentic power-sharing and bridge gaps in philanthropic practice.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Butler, K. D. (2025). Engaging Youth in Philanthropic Practice: Field-Building Strategies and the Promise of Youth-Possible Philanthropy™. The Foundation Review, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/1944-5660.1725
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