We envision a world where youth are valued decision makers in all spaces where there is necessary change needed to uphold equity and justice.
About Us
Who We Are
Building Leaders in Innovative New Giving (BLING) is a San Francisco based youth program under the Youth Leadership Institute. Our program is led by youth philanthropists who provide grant funding to youth led social justice projects throughout San Francisco. Using philanthropy, these youth hope to amplify youth voice and create sustainable social justice change.
Our program is funded by the Department of Children, Youth & Their Families (DCYF).
Our Mission
To empower youth as key stakeholders in the change impacting their lives. To catalyze sustainable social justice change.
Our Values
Social Justice
Comprehensive Learning
Equity
Return Power To Community
How We Work
We Learn The Issues
Before making funding decisions, BLING youth philanthropists are educated on a plethora of social injustices impacting marginalized communities. With this education, BLING youth philanthropists can acknowledge a variety of social justice projects as “worth funding”, even if it doesn’t pertain to their own identities.
We Address & Eliminate Our Pre-Conceived Bias
Before making funding decisions, BLING youth philanthropists participate in identity workshops, learn about the issues, learn about bias, and eliminate our pre-conceived biases that may have prevented us from funding a project and acknowledging the social justice issue it addresses.
We Target & Engage Marginalized Communities
To ensure that BLING is uplifting actual equity we do intentional outreach to as many communities as we can about our grant opportunities. It’s imperative that we reach out to youth in communities who don’t have easy access to the BLING grant, or don’t have the resources/support to complete the grant application.
We Give Youth A Seat At The Table
Through grant giving to youth-led social justice projects, we highlight the ideas, skill, creativity, and expertise of youth. It BLING’s belief that youth are an important group to have at decision making tables, especially regarding the issues impacting their lives. However, that isn’t quite our reality and so we’re taking a step by funding projects designed by youth and led by youth to uplift youth voice.
We Provide Grant Funding
BLING youth philanthropists work hard to distribute grant funding each year to continue our fight to uplift youth voice.