A new year has a way of inviting fresh perspective. As 2026 gets underway, it feels fitting to shine a light on something young — not just in age, but in energy, imagination and urgency: the growing force of Gen Z philanthropists.
When the world shut down during COVID, our collective awareness of disparities sharpened, particularly in Black and Brown communities and especially in education. While some students logged into class from quiet bedrooms with stable Wi-Fi and parental support, many Black and Brown students disappeared entirely — no laptop, no broadband and little supervision. The inequities were there long before COVID. The pandemic simply made them impossible to ignore.
For Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — that moment was formative.
From lived experience to calling
“I was in the eighth grade during COVID, and when I realized a lot of students needed resources just to keep up with schoolwork, I knew then I wanted to help children who were less fortunate,” says Rev. Cameron Kuykindall, president and CEO of Scholar in the Middle, which he founded while still in high school.
Kuykindall and his peers came of age during overlapping crises: a global pandemic, racial reckoning, climate anxiety, gun violence and economic instability. They didn’t learn about these events in a history class — they grew up during them. As a result, young founders like Kuykindall don’t view philanthropy as extracurricular or as something reserved for older or wealthier people. They see it as their calling.
Gen Z philanthropists may not have deep pockets, but they have deep conviction. They organize online, fundraise peer-to-peer, build mutual aid networks and launch nonprofits while still in high school or college. To them, philanthropy is not just about giving money; it is about solving problems, sharing access and building systems that work for more people.
“Our mission is to propel students with average grades to achieve their fullest potential through learning activities,” Kuykindall says. To support that mission, the founding team intentionally built an organization that communicates where families already are.
“We advertise our organization on social media platforms that both children and parents have access to, like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook,” he says. “We also have an interactive website with a mixture of lighthearted and serious posts so people can connect with us in a real way.”
Finding impact where others are not looking
In the summer of 2025, Scholar in the Middle made a strategic shift that reflects how Gen Z thinks differently about problem solving. After reviewing education outcomes, the organization chose to focus on a population largely overlooked by Memphis’ nearly 13,000 registered nonprofits.
“We decided to narrow our focus to serving K–12 students who earn C’s in school,” Kuykindall says. “That’s when we changed the organization’s name from The CamKuy Group to Scholar in the Middle. The mission stayed the same — we just carved out a space where we believe we can make the greatest impact.”
With impact as the core of their work, this team of young social entrepreneurs found that most organizations serve either high-performing or low-performing students. Few support students who fall in the academic middle — students with potential who often go unnoticed. The nonprofit’s shift positions it to focus on moving scholars from average academic performance to academic mastery.
The emergence of self-defined leadership
Scholar in the Middle is led by 15 young people, mostly college freshmen and sophomores from colleges and universities in the Southeast region, plus one current high school student, and all products of Memphis-Shelby County Schools. They call themselves the Scholar Squad, a team shaped by the realities they are now working to change. “We can directly relate to students because we are young adult leaders,” Kuykindall says. “We understand what they’re dealing with because we were just there.”
Programs include the Holiday Magic Toy Drive, Fun and Fam Summer Events, Senior to Senior Scholars and the I AM the Solution STEM Summer Camp. The team also conducts school engagement and empowerment days through a monthly program called Planting A S.E.E.D., placing them consistently inside local elementary and middle schools.
This is not symbolic youth leadership. What these leaders experienced during COVID — the frustration of disrupted learning, the visibility of inequity and the emotional toll of being left behind — directly informs how they lead today. They understand that academic mastery is key to long-term success.
Their leadership style also reflects a natural relationship with technology. Digital tools are foundational. They design their own graphics, use online fundraising platforms and rely on social media to share stories and mobilize support. Comfortable with virtual collaboration, they move quickly, operate transparently and reach supporters beyond traditional networks.
Why governance must evolve
Youth-led innovation is an emerging force and precisely what makes these organizations effective. Which brings us to nonprofit governance.
If nonprofits are serious about sustainability, relevance and impact, they must intentionally bring Gen Z voices into boardrooms as valued contributors. Young leaders bring lived experience, cultural insight and digital fluency.
“It’s time that older nonprofit boards grant us an opportunity to serve if they want their legacy to continue,” Kuykindall says. “If we’re allowed to lead now, transitions will be smoother later because we’ll be ready to carry on.”
Philanthropy is changing in many ways. This evolution includes the coming of age of a generation shaped by unprecedented events. Among them are philanthropists who feel an urgency to take responsibility for the future they will carry forward. By embracing and nurturing Gen Z’s innovative and momentum-driven leadership, communities can remain focused on relevant needs and deploy approaches responsive to present realities rather than past assumptions.
With an unfiltered understanding of disparity informed by this decade’s converging crises, Gen Z is ready to act. As the consequences of this period continue to surface, the nonprofit sector must make room for the next generation of philanthropists — recognizing their power and giving them the autonomy to deploy strategies only they understand best.
— Judith Black Moore is a nonprofit consultant and the founder of Taking Back the Future, a youth-focused nonprofit. With decades of leadership experience at nationally recognized nonprofit organizations, she brings a seasoned, strategic lens to the issues that matter most in the nonprofit sector.
