Philanthro-Teens on the March

On April 14, I'm moderating a panel at the Global Philanthropy Forum on the rise of the next wave of makers and doers. Unlike previous generations, today's "Philanthro-Teens" are characterized not by apathy or entropy, but by a sense of purpose and possibility in tackling challenges from water scarcity and malaria eradication to ending child marriage.

These digital denizens are used to controlling and curating their own relationships to information, resources and possibilities. They have grown up accustomed to collaborating with (rather than responding to) power structures, such as media outlets and corporate brands. They yelp the truth, co-create content and answer their own questions, with ideas that often amaze the rest of us by their sheer creativity and influence.

This is certainly true in the realm of social action. Teenagers may be inspired by leaders like Ted Turner and Bill Gates, but they respond like Mark Zuckerberg. They build fundraising campaigns, make grants, spread awareness and drive results in novel, compelling and authentic ways, according to a map patterned only with these self-affirmed directions: make it real, make it matter.

The youth action pioneers presenting at my panel are MTV correspondent SuChin Pak, Facebook marketing director Randi Zuckerberg, and high school senior and Girl Up teen adviser Lily Kaplan. Each plays a critical role in inspiring and enabling teens to change their world for the better. Their collective efforts not only mobilize impact, they amplify and publicize possibilities, drawing ever more teens into a more conscious and confident approach to the future.

To me, this is the biggest news in philanthropy since Warren Buffet pledged to give his fortune away to charity. Traditional foundations and global brands will ignore the rise of Philanthro-Teens to their peril. Research confirms what we already know -- moms and dads will give more to charity and purchase more consciously when encouraged to do so by their daughters and sons. This stuff matters. Our round blue world is struggling with so many problems and we cannot afford to squander the greatest resource we have. A young imagination -- twinned with leadership and organizational skills, amplified by media and social networks, and boosted by private sector and community support -- can be an unparalleled engine of change.

And just imagine this: these and other activists are committed to giving kids everywhere -- girls, in particular -- a fair chance at education, health care and freedom from poverty and violence. Picture the possibilities of all the entrepreneurial energy pouring forth from today's American Philanthro-Teens flowing just as freely in Liberia, Ethiopia, Guatemala and beyond. Those kids have the same hunger for change and now it's their brothers and sisters thousands of miles away who are stepping up to help feed it. They deserve much more than our thanks and applause. They've earned our backing in every way.

My hope for the future: that there will be many conference panels full of social activists from countries targeted by these Philanthro-Teens talking about how together, as a generation, they are transforming our world right before our eyes.

 

Follow Tamsin Smith on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@slipstreamer

Comments

[Shannon McNamara]

03:11 PM on 06/01/2011

Dear Tamsin,

Thank you so much for writing such a fantastic article! I like to consider myself a "Philantro-teen". I started SHARE, a non-profit organization, three years ago to empower and educate girls in Tanzania, Africa. I welcome you to check out our website at www.shareinafrica.org or "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shareinafrica.
For the past three years I have traveled to Tanzania with my family during the summer to create four libraries, start a reading program for 500 girls, provide 33,000 books to schools in Africa, and also provide electricity to 3 Tanzania schools. Giving back is such a blessing and it's amazing and inspiring to see so many other teens doing the same! Volunteering really is the best hobby out there - especially when you get the "helper's high"!
Also, I'm so glad that you mentioned Lily Kaplan - I am also a Girl Up Teen Advisor with Lily and she is amazing :)
Thank you again for writing such a great article!
Shannon

[34MillionFriends]

01:39 PM on 04/13/2011

Most teenagers can't be philanthropists in the usual sense of the term. But they can take a stand for the women and girls of the world with one dollar through 34 Million Friends of the United Nations Population Fund which works in over 150 countries to save women's lives in childbirth, offers family planning, lobbies for girls' education, fights against gender based biolence such as female genital mutilation,child marriage and rape used as a weapon of war. I kind of wish 34 Million Friends would go "viral" as young people like to say. Jane Roberts, co-founder

[Tamsin Smith]

10:06 PM on 04/13/2011

This is wonderful, Jane! Thank you for posting. One dollar can change a life, one teenager can change a life -- that's a big message.