Our book by Olivia Zhang lays out the blueprint for young people to start and manage their own nonprofits. Olivia started what is today the largest youth-led cancer nonprofit at age 14. But her story is not the only one of young people starting incredible organizations that have helped huge numbers of people and changed tens of thousands of lives or even more. Here are five others:
1. Thirst ProjectÂ
Founder: Seth Maxwell, at age 19Â
Impact: Thirst Project works to end the global water crisis by educating and mobilizing students. It has helped provide clean water and sanitation to hundreds of thousands of people in multiple countries and activated millions of students on campuses.
2. PERIOD
Founder: Nadya Okamoto, at age 16.
Impact: PERIOD became one of the largest youth run organizations focused on menstrual equity and product access, with hundreds of chapters globally and tens of thousands of menstrual products distributed.
3. Re Earth Initiative
Founder: Xiye Bastida, at age 18.
Impact: Re Earth Initiative supports youth climate action, grassroots climate solutions, storytelling, and regenerative practices globally across twenty-seven nations.
4. GirlForward
Founder: Blair Brettschneider, at age 22.
Impact: GirlForward serves girls and young women who identify as refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers from forty countries through three key programs involving mentoring, education, and providing safe spaces.
5. New Story
Founders: Brett Hagler, Alexandria Lafci, Matthew Marshall, and Mike Arrieta—all in their early 20s.
Impact: New Story builds homes for people and families with inadequate shelter. They raised significant funding and pioneered the art of 3D-printed community homes in multiple countries.
As the old saying goes, change begins with young hands.
