Youth4Nature is proud to be part of the new cohort supported by the ClimateWorks Foundation, which is focused on advancing youth-led climate solutions and fostering a stronger, more interconnected global climate justice movement. This effort represents a critical step in addressing the longstanding underfunding of youth-led climate and biodiversity initiatives, creating new pathways for youth to drive systemic action at all levels, from grassroots mobilization to international negotiations.
Youth-led organizations face numerous challenges when accessing international funding, unrestricted and/or operational funding, and long-term funding, with one of the most significant barriers being the complex, inflexible, and (very) high-effort funding processes. Many youth organisations, including ours, work with limited and unstable financial resources and small teams, often with little or no paid staff, making it difficult to compete in the exclusive world of grants, which often seek quantity over quality and flashy impact over the work of maintenance and nurturing. Furthermore, youth-led initiatives are often still building the established networks, history, and track records that larger, more traditional organisations rely on to secure funding from institutional donors. As a result, many innovative solutions with the potential to make a real difference in global climate and biodiversity policy go underfunded and remain on the sidelines.
“I hope to learn from the diverse needs, strengths, and perspectives of fellow youth organisers, recognising the richness and complexity of our constituency. I’m especially eager to explore how we can harness that diversity to co-create solutions that reflect our unique contexts yet drive toward shared goals—ultimately building a more unified and resilient climate justice movement.”
Bulimo - Y4N Global Ambassador, Kenya
The current geopolitical landscape only deepens these challenges. With rising political divisions, competing priorities in international development, and the strain caused by ongoing conflicts, it’s becoming even harder for youth-led organisations to attract the attention and long-term support we deserve - and that the entire climate and nature movements need from us. These broader political and economic conditions put marginalised youth-led organisers and organisations, particularly those from less-resourced regions across the Global South and under-resourced communities - like queer and migrant communities - at an even greater disadvantage when trying to access vital resources, perpetuating cycles of burnout, exclusion, and underfunding. To ensure that youth continue to play a central role in the fight for climate justice, it is crucial that we address this funding gap and create more equitable pathways for youth-led organisations to thrive.
As an organisation, this cohort provides us an invaluable opportunity to deepen our understanding of this international funding landscape - ultimately trying to create a more accessible landscape where we can invite more people to the table. We hope for this initiative to be a catalyst, helping us, other youth-led movements, and funders to imagine what trust-based funding looks like, to unpack power dynamics and build reciprocal networks, and to address accountability and transparency in top-down funding approaches. We hope that this, and more, will ripple to benefit all youth committed to a fairer nature and climate present out there.
“I hope the cohort helps build stronger connections within the youth climate movement and fosters collaboration across different regions. By working together, we can share strategies and amplify our collective impact. I also look forward to gaining insights that will enable me to bring back new ideas and solutions that can strengthen and inspire the work being done within my communities.”
Steph - Y4N Global Ambassador, Italy/Brazil
For the Y4N team members who are representatives in this cohort, this is a unique opportunity to work closely with a respected and large-scale funder, to connect and build synergies with other youth organisers, and to harness their experiences, knowledge, and unique world views to champion and build an equitable, accessible, and sustainable funding landscape for youth organisers everywhere.