%20Social%20Media%20Posts.png)
Subscribe to our Newsletter
What We Do
At We Trust You(th), we challenge traditional funding systems and advocate for trust-based, youth-centered approaches. We hold funders and institutions accountable to young people by pushing for transparency, flexibility, and meaningful engagement.
We create spaces where youth-led organizations can connect, share experiences, and collectively advocate for better funding practices. By building partnerships and co-creating solutions, we reimagine a future where young leaders have the resources and trust they need to drive lasting change.
.png)
✨ Sneak Peek: The WTY Comic Book
What if accountability could be explained with humor, art, and youth creativity? It’s available today — check it out!
The #WeTrustYouth Challenge: Where It All Began
In November 2021, We Trust You(th) launched a bold public challenge to youth-focused donors and NGOs worldwide: take concrete action by mid-2022 to shift power, resources, and decision-making toward youth-led efforts.
The challenge called for change across four key areas: making funding more accessible, building equitable partnerships with youth-led organizations, co-creating sustainable programming, and developing the internal capacity of institutions to work more collaboratively with young people.
The response was powerful; over 100 organizations and funders took up the challenge.
Check out below the list of resources that have been developed by the We Trust You(th) Initiative team and fellow partners!
#WeTrustYouthChallenge acceptors include:
After the global response to our #WeTrustYouthChallenge, we asked ourselves a new question:
What would it look like if funders didn’t just support youth leadership—but followed it?
The What’s Possible Learning Institute: A $1 Million Pooled Fund
That question led to our next big step in 2024: co-creating the What’s Possible Learning Institute in 🌱—a $1 million pooled fund and bold learning collaboration with the Children’s Rights Innovation Fund (CRIF).
What’s Possible isn’t a traditional learning space. It’s an experiential institute where funders don’t just talk about accountability, they practice it.
Through a participatory grantmaking process led by young people, donors were invited to sit in the passenger seat: observing, reflecting, and learning directly from youth-led decision-making.
This initiative offered a rare space for funders to test new models, reimagine what partnership looks like, and shift power in real time. ✊
Learn more about the What's Possible Learning Institute and the list of Donor Collaborators here.
"What’s Possible began as a $1 million experiment in youth-led philanthropy testing what can happen when donors don’t just support young people, but genuinely follow their lead. The results were clear: when youth lead, systems begin to change. That momentum has brought us to a next chapter—bigger, deeper, and more ambitious."
What’s Different: A Leap Toward Youth-Led Philanthropy
After proving What’s Possible, we’re showing What’s Different.
Now, building on that success, we’re stepping into the next chapter: What’s Different—a multi-year fund launching publicly at Women Deliver in April 2026.
This next phase takes everything we learned, and everything we dreamed and makes it bigger, bolder, and more aligned with youth priorities.
-
Deeper learning journeys 🧠
-
Trauma-informed convenings 🌍
-
Flexible funder alignment 💸
And the rollout of the We Trust You(th)’s youth-led accountability tools 🎯.
Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning, or are just discovering this work, there’s a place for you in What’s Different.