December 16, 2005

By: Joanne Cave

What does your perfect world look like? Free of poverty, violence, or inequality? I know that, as youth, it’s often hard to feel that our voices are being heard and that the issues that are important to us are being addressed. We’re just idealistic teenagers, the ones who would, no doubt, rather be listening to our iPods and wandering aimlessly around the local mall than taking action to improve our world.

As a thirteen-year-old grassroots organizer myself, it’s hard to challenge the teenage stereotypes and show society that what I am doing can be influential and powerful. I may have only graduated from Barbie-dom five years ago, but I am confident, aware of my world, and willing to take action!

Self-organizing is such an exhilarating way to feel like you are contributing to something bigger than yourself. Even so, the world of grant applications and networking can seem intimidating and, well, absolutely terrifying, to any youth. But the challenge of it all is what motivates me to keep on going. For those of you who are interested in grassroots organizing and starting a project of your own, be forewarned that roadblocks are everywhere. How do I fundraise $5000 within six months for my cause? How do I… well, just get started? Everyone faces the common challenges of obtaining funding, publicizing your project, and getting started, but I have some excellent resources and ideas to help you on your grassroots journey.

Your first step is to have an idea - an issue that you feel needs to be addressed in your community. In my community, I found that there were not adequate resources for teenage girls when dealing with problems such as unhealthy body image or cutting. In response to this, I created Ophelia’s Voice, which is a program for teenage girls aged 12-14 to come and discuss topics that are relevant to their lives, such as relationships, violence, or sexuality. Your idea needs to be something you are very passionate about and can connect with.

My next step with Ophelia’s Voice was to find an adult mentor to help me with this project. As a thirteen-year-old girl, it would be almost impossible to sign legal agreements for partnerships or have the credibility that comes with having an adult working with you. I went to Outreach, an organization with the University of Alberta, and they gave me the contact information of interested university students. If you are under 18, I suggest you find an adult mentor who can help you with grant writing, publicity, and legal issues. An adult mentor also adds lots of credibility to your project and can offer advice on your next steps. Here are some excellent websites and manuals especially for young organizers getting started:

Youth Action Network Manual
Dream Now
Youth Venture
Youth Noise
Taking It Global

Funding is one of the biggest issues for self-organizers, particularly youth. I know that with Ophelia’s Voice, it has certainly been a struggle to find a grant agency willing to donate $5000 to a project they’ve never heard of, started by two university students and a thirteen-year-old. Some grant agencies that cater specifically to youth include:

Youth Initiatives Limited Grant Program (from the Wild Rose Foundation)
Youth Venture
Do Something

There are also specialty grants available, such as those for organizations that work specifically with women, youth, or the environment for example.

Funding may seem like a very intimidating thing to consider for your project - no kidding…rejection isn’t something I look forward to! - but there are tons of resources, books, websites, and people who can help you. Your adult mentor can definitely help you in this area, and your local information and volunteer centre may have resources on grant writing. Most importantly, before you start looking into obtaining funding, create a brief budget of what you think you’ll need so you can set a fundraising goal. You may even consider partnering with an existing organization, where you can use their charitable registration number (yay!) to become eligible for a lot more grants.

Publicity is another big issue for youth organizers. Your local newspaper and television station are good places to start, but look at the lesser-known options as well. What about information sessions, e-zines, bulletin boards, radio announcements, posters, publicizing through other organizations, or even newsletters? Make sure you are aware of the other similar organizations in your area as well; maybe there’s another group that works with your cause that you can talk to? Use other organizations and networking to your advantage, and try to learn as much as possible from other experienced people in the field. The tiniest connections you make with someone could mean a partnership, a $500 grant, or a television interview later on - keep this in mind!

It is so important for the youth of today to take action to improve our world. We have unique perspectives, ideas, and issues that are relevant to us, and it is up to us to make these ideas and dreams into realities. Self-organizing is a very challenging, yet an incredibly rewarding, experience. I love the feeling of being able to challenge a stereotype; I know that, as a thirteen-year-old, I am influencing change and showing myself and others that age and gender are not important. What is important is the drive and motivation to help something so much bigger than yourself and to feel that you are contributing and making an impact. While I am working on a project to help with girls’ empowerment, the most empowering feeling of all is when I realize that I am positively making a difference in my community and that I can finally have my unique voice heard.