Igniting a Generation of Changemakers: How Philanthropy Can Power Youth Social Innovation

by: Roger Warnock, CEO, Young Social Innovators

Introduction: Empowering Young People to Change the World

At Young Social Innovators (YSI), we believe in the power of young people to shape a fairer, more sustainable, and inclusive world. For over two decades, we’ve worked with more than 187,000 young people across Ireland, helping them turn ideas into action through the process of social innovation. From tackling climate change to addressing mental health, equality, and housing, YSI’s mission is simple but transformative: to ensure that every young person feels inspired, empowered, and equipped to change the world for good.

As we approach YSI’s 25th anniversary in 2026, we are proud to reflect on a legacy built on belief in youth potential and to look ahead to an even greater collective impact. In a world facing complex social and environmental challenges, Ireland’s young people are showing that they don’t just want change, they are ready to lead it.

Programmes such as Ignite Community, Activate, and Elevate provide hands-on, youth-led learning experiences that foster empathy, creativity, and leadership, ensuring that the next generation of changemakers has the skills to shape a better future.

The Role of Philanthropy in Youth Social Innovation

Philanthropy plays a vital catalytic role in enabling our work. It bridges the gap between aspiration and opportunity, especially for marginalised young people who are often left behind by traditional education or community systems.

A powerful example of this is the CatalySE/Elevate Programme, which supports young innovators to advance outstanding projects emerging from YSI’s Activate and Ignite Community programmes. Thanks to the partnership and generosity of Community Foundation Ireland and Bank of Ireland, YSI is able to invest directly in youth-led social enterprises through mentoring and our dedicated Social Impact Fund. In 2025 alone, this fund awarded over €10,000 in seed investment to 20 youth-led projects tackling issues from sustainability and climate action to menstrual equity and mental wellbeing.

This philanthropic support enables young people not only to dream but to deliver real-world solutions, often continuing their projects long after a programme ends. As one Elevate participant put it:

“It’s not just a project anymore, it’s something that’s changing our community for the better.”

This is philanthropy in action, not as charity, but as investment in human potential.

Beyond CatalySE/Elevate, programmes like Ignite Community and Activate offer scalable pathways for young innovators. Each calendar year, 15,000 young people participate in YSI, contributing to thousands of volunteer hours to social impact projects. These young changemakers are redefining leadership — not through profit or prestige, but through purpose and community engagement.

Current Gaps and Opportunities

Despite Ireland’s progress, there remain significant gaps in access to social innovation education, particularly in DEIS schools and non-formal settings. Many young people lack platforms to express ideas, learn entrepreneurial skills, or connect with decision-makers who can help bring their projects to life.

Philanthropic partnerships can fill these gaps by:

• Expanding reach: enabling YSI to work in more communities across Ireland, including rural and cross-border regions.

• Investing in Young Peoples “voice”: through YSI’s Echoboard platform, ensuring young people are heard and have an opportunity to influence on key issues affecting them.

• Supporting research and advocacy: such as YSI’s Gen Z Index, which also captures the voice and sentiment of Ireland’s youth on key social issues like climate, wellbeing, and equality.

• Fuelling sustainability: helping YSI embed long-term funding models that ensure continuity of impact.

Call to Action: A Collective Investment in Ireland’s Future

As Ireland shapes its future in a complex and changing world, young people are not just the beneficiaries of change, they are its architects. But they need enablers: funders, partners, and champions who believe in their power to innovate for the common good.

Philanthropy Ireland’s community of funders can make a profound difference by:

• Funding youth-led innovation programmes that give young people agency and voice.

• Championing cross-sector collaboration between philanthropy, education, and civic institutions.

• Investing in scale: helping proven programmes like YSI reach every young person, regardless of background.

As YSI marks its 25th anniversary in 2026, we are inviting Ireland’s philanthropic community to help us write the next chapter, one where every young person, regardless of circumstance, has the chance to turn compassion into action and ideas into impact. Together, we can ignite a generation of changemakers ready to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable Ireland.