Future Chair – How Assifero has put youth agency on the agenda for funders and their networks
Section
Case in Brief
The issue
We are on the brink of an intergenerational crisis, with young people disproportionately affected by recent economic and social shocks. Through previous times of challenge, all generations bore the burden equally. But now, young people carry a heavier share due to Europe’s demographic changes and the climate emergency. Intergenerational solidarity is essential to address these issues, requiring the sharing of power across generations to build a more equitable future
The context
The intergenerational gap is widening as Europe’s population ages compared to other continents. In a context of economic decline, which heavily impacts youth, young people are underrepresented in decision-making. This disparity has been pervasive in all sectors of society, including philanthropy, where young people – despite representing a substantial portion of beneficiaries – are often excluded from philanthropic decision-making.
The path forward
Philanthropy can benefit from meaningfully engaging children and young people to address the root causes of issues more effectively. Including them in designing, implementing and evaluating activities, as well as in governance, ensures their voices are heard. By doing so, the philanthropy sector will set an example of meaningful youth participation for others to follow.
Assifero: A snapshot
Assifero is the Italian association of foundations and philanthropic entities, serving as a reference point for institutional philanthropy in Italy. Its membership includes 170 diverse family, corporate and community foundations, unified by shared goals: working for the common good, listening to communities, and fostering long-term development.
Its seven staff members work to facilitate collaborations; share best practices and innovative approaches; increase information flow; and create spaces for exchange. Assifero aims to build a more visible, informed, connected and effective philanthropic system in Italy that is recognised as a key partner for human and sustainable development.
Mindset
- Strategic philanthropy
- Future-oriented agendas
- Impactful and sustainable development
- Collaboration and support
Overview
Assifero’s Future Chair initiative is a commitment that encourages philanthropic organisations to meaning- fully engage young people in their work. The initiative builds on models of child participation such as Article 12 of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, which upholds the right of children and youth to be heard. It includes Laura Lundy’s model for ensuring space, voice, audience and influence for youth participation; and Roger Hart’s Ladder of Participation, which outlines levels of decision-making agency for youth as a way to promote meaningful engagement.
Moving beyond tokenistic involvement of young people, Assifero developed the initiative through a participatory process with young people. Future Chair was launched in March 2023 with the current commitment of 60 signatories representing diverse Italian philanthropic organisations.
Challenge
Young people are significantly underrepresented in decision-making roles, both in politics and in philanthropy. Despite making up 22% of Europe’s population, only about 10% of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are under 35. This underrepresentation leads to policies that often overlook the needs and challenges faced by younger generations, including economic inequality and the lack of affordable housing. The inlusion of young people in decision-making is essential for addressing these issues effectively and working to- wards more sustainable and equitable futures.
In the philanthropy sector, youth are frequently viewed solely as beneficiaries rather than active contributors, which perpetuates the inequalities that philanthropy aims to solve. Only 60% of organisations surveyed in Philea’s publication Child and Youth Participation in Philanthropy involve youth in their work, with a varying degree of collaboration, and only a minority includes them in their governance structures. According to a 2023 survey conducted by Assifero and Bocconi University, in Italy, only 5% of philanthropic organisations have board members below the age of 50, and just 32% employ staff under 35. Despite 37 of 38 respondent foundations serving young beneficiaries, efforts to involve young people were rated as moderate.
The active participation of children and young people in philanthropy enriches the sector by deepening its commitment to social justice and making future practices more inclusive and effective. Some foundations have recognised the value of intergenerational dialogue and adopted innovative practices to foster meaningful collaborations with children and young people.
Approach
The Future Chair initiative encourages philanthropic organisations to symbolically leave an empty chair at their meetings as a way to highlight the absence of children and youth in decision-making processes. The empty chair reminds organisations of their impact on future generations and urges them to address this gap. The concept of the Future Chair emerged from a UN leadership course where someone mentioned leaving an empty chair to represent what was missing.
The initiative is a call to action to:
- Foundations and philanthropic organisations – to start their inner transformation by meaningfully including children and youth in decision-making processes.
- Philanthropy networks – to unveil their role as agents of change, enablers and multipliers of social change by walking the talk and encouraging a more equitable practice among their constituencies.
Future Chair promotes principles that advocate for meaningful engagement of young people in philanthropy, fostering dialogue and ensuring action on their recommendations. The initiative seeks to inspire similar practices across the sector, enhancing overall impact and inclusivity.
Inspiration
To address the lack of representation of young people in philanthropic foundations, Assifero explored ways in which it could harness its influence to embed intergenerational justice. It was initially inspired by the International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change, the global movement of foundations committed to taking urgent action on climate change, and Philea’s publication Child and Youth Participation in Philanthropy.
The initiative was developed through a participatory pro- cess with young people, who were integral throughout, contributing to the development of both the initiative’s principles and its logo. From October 2022, the association initiated a dialogue between foundations and 200 students from United World College (UWC) and Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, followed by 2 in-person workshops with 18 young people aged 16 to 26. Fair remuneration was crucial to ensuring equity, acknowledging the expertise and lived experience of young people, who are not only at the heart of the initiative but also its driving force.
Results
Future Chair inspired a national debate on intergenerational justice and the need to include young people in decision-making in philanthropy and beyond. Through the initiative, Assifero has enabled the multiplier effect of philanthropy infrastructure, spreading its practice not only among its members but also to partners and beneficiaries.
The ways in which its 60 signatories live up to the principles of the commitment are diverse. These range from including young people in the design and implementation of programmes, to reorganising governance structures and facilitating succession planning in organisations.
Meaningful youth engagement
- Several foundations have established Youth Banks, empowering young people to design and manage calls for proposals, an approach adopted by Fondazione Monza e Brianza.
- In addition to creating a Youth Bank, Fondazione di Comunità Milano established the role of Youth Planner. This position focuses on proposing projects in the areas of interest and participating in the Call for Proposals promoted by the Youth Bank with other young people.
- Other foundations, like Fondazione Wanda di Ferdinando in collaboration with Wayouth, are putting young people in charge of shaping the future of their towns and cities.
Changing strategic governance
Meaningful inclusion of young people has taken on new forms in some foundations, which are now intentional- ly rethinking their decision-making processes. These foundations are incorporating young people in their governance structures and strategic decision-making roles. An example of this is Fondazione Cottino which elected a young woman to its board of directors after having signed the commitment and pledged to reform its governance.