From Participation to Power: How We’re Reimagining Who Decides
April 1, 2026
On a summer night in a small rural town, a group of young people made a decision most adults wouldn’t have prioritized. They chose to fund lights for a basketball court.
Not a new program. Not a formal initiative. Just lights — so kids would have a safe place to gather after dark. It was simple. And it was exactly what their community needed.
Because when young people are trusted with real decision-making authority, they see things differently. That moment wasn’t just a good funding decision. It showed what’s possible when participation turns into power.
Not All Participation is the Same
We talk about youth voice a lot. But it can mean very different things.
The Ladder of Participation helps put that into perspective.
At the lower rungs, young people may be present but have little influence. As you move up, they start shaping ideas and programs. At the highest levels, they help make decisions — or lead them.
That’s where we aim to be.
So, What Does That Actually Look Like?
Through youth-led participatory grantmaking, young people don’t just share ideas — they decide where funding goes.
We’ve seen it take a few different forms depending on the community:
- Sometimes we bring young people together and guide the process
- Sometimes we partner with organizations and build it into existing programs
- And sometimes organizations fully embed youth decision-making into their leadership
No matter the approach, one thing stays the same: Young people make the decisions.
This Is Bigger Than One Program
Participatory grantmaking is one way we share power. But it’s not the only way.
We’ve also built our governance to reflect that same belief — bringing youth, community, and administrative voices together in how decisions are made across our work.
It keeps decision-making shared, transparent, and grounded in real experience.