Youth Engagement Fund (YEF)

Organizational DevelopmentExecutive Coaching & EngagementStrategic PlanResearchDeep Democracy

Oct 9

Context

Youth Engagement Fund (YEF) has partnered with Rivera Consulting since 2018, as an executive coach and management consultant with their Executive Director, senior leadership team, staff, and external partners (grantees and capacity building organizations like Re-Power, The Management Center, and CIRCLE at Tufts University). By combining our professional services, YEF has successfully grown from a start up intermediary to doubling its budget and grantmaking, as well as expanding from 1FT to 7FT staff. In fact, last year, YEF received a $10 million Ford Foundation’s BUILD grant to focus on their capacity and resilience beyond this moment of uncertainty and declining commitment from philanthropy to BIPOC and youth-led civic engagement.

Engagement Process

During this time, we spearheaded the research and engagement design and planning of YEF’s Good Trouble Playbook (2021- 2023), including the program development and evaluation of the Youth Collaboratives as well as culture and work planning with staff and the senior leadership team. Established in 2021, the Youth Collaboratives are YEF’s signature program and grantmaking strategy. Last year it held 15 state convenings in across 5 states - Arizona, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Georgia - and one multi-state convening with over 350 youth of color from 45 organizations.

The team at YEF are driven by three simple words: trust, fund and follow. Three words that we use to design and facilitate this engagement process.

  
  The incredible work we've co-created with YEF over the past five years is clear: driving meaningful and lasting change requires collaboration, adaptability, as well as relationship and infrastructure building.

Impact

Now we are focused on developing a sustainable road map for the next three years that align with its organizational road map. The incredible work we've co-created with YEF over the past five years is clear: driving meaningful and lasting change requires collaboration, adaptability, as well as relationship and infrastructure building. Most importantly, it requires servant and healing leadership practices, where collaboration and culture are equally significant to budget and strategy.