Bridging the Civic Gap: Exploring Inequalities in Youth Philanthropy Programs

Herzog, P. S., Dillman, B., Park, S., Penman, N., & Housemyer, J. (2025). Youth philanthropy: Studying potential for inequalities in outcomes. Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. https://scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/36c09ebd-03fa-4cdf-9497-a89c11f81724/content

Introduction

Youth philanthropy programs position young people as civic contributors, shifting from deficit-based models of youth development to asset-based engagement. These initiatives often include fundraising, grant making, and service, aiming to foster civic identity, prosocial behavior, and leadership. While prior research shows positive impacts on youth civic engagement, questions remain about whether all participants benefit equally. Herzog and colleagues (2025) investigate these potential inequalities, offering insight into how program design and mentoring supports might ensure more equitable outcomes for diverse youth participants.

Methods

The authors examined data from 180 high school juniors and seniors across 12 U.S. youth philanthropy programs run by the Three Pillars Initiative between 2020–2024. Participants completed annual surveys after two years in the program. Measures assessed 1. philanthropic activities, 2. prosocial orientations, 3. Program Experiences, 4. Social and Demographic factors, and 5. Program Differences. Outcomes were analyzed for variation across individual and program-level characteristics.

Results

Overall, participants demonstrated strong engagement: nearly all reported donating, volunteering, and identifying as philanthropists. Differences did not emerge across gender, race, socioeconomic status, or program location. However, youth with higher social comfort, stronger decision-making confidence, closer parental relationships, and more frequent religious attendance showed greater gains in philanthropic identity, prosocial personality, and social trust.

Discussion

Youth philanthropy programs foster broad civic growth, but gains are stronger for socially comfortable or relationally supported youth. These relational and personal factors shaped philanthropic identity, social trust, agency, and prosocial personality, suggesting attention to individual contexts is essential.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

For mentoring practice, these findings underscore the importance of tailoring support to youth who may lack parental closeness or feel less comfortable in social and decision-making contexts. Mentors can play a key role in scaffolding confidence, building trust, and ensuring equitable developmental benefits across diverse participants. Integrating intentional strategies to engage socially reserved or disconnected youth may help close gaps in program impact.

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