Our new 2026 grantees, Head of Strategy, and Statewide Funder Convening Kickoff
The California Youth Power Fund (YPF) is pleased to announce a round of responsive grantmaking, providing extended one year general operating grants to all current and past YPF grantees of the last five years. In total, YPF is awarding $1.4 million to 40 youth-led organizations across Northern California, spanning the Bay Area and South Bay and extending up through Humboldt County.
This round reflects our commitment to stability and continuity for the youth organizing and leadership development ecosystem at a moment of real uncertainty. It will be our final grantmaking round at our current annual grantmaking range, as we embark on an effort to grow YPF’s grantmaking to $5 million per year beginning in 2027. This round was made possible by funding partners and individual donors who stepped in during the second half of 2025 to ensure sustainable support for this work at a time when many organizations are reporting funders stepping back; with 87.5% of YPF grantee organizations reporting significant impacts to their funding over the last year.
This moment underscores why the YPF exists: to act as a stable funding anchor and long-term investment vehicle for the youth movement in California. As we look ahead, YPF is growing this model to expand into under-resourced and under-represented regions, including the Central Valley and Southern California, while continuing to deepen our support for long-standing partners.
Here is a list of grantee organizations in this year’s cycle:
Olivia Nava
We are also pleased to announce the hiring of Olivia Nava as YPF’s new Head of Strategy and Impact.
Olivia has been with the fund for more than three years as a part-time consultant and has been instrumental in shaping YPF’s strategy, statewide convenings, learning and evaluation framework, and core operational systems. We are beyond excited to bring her expertise in strategic planning, field building, program evaluation, and operational design to the fund on a near full-time basis.
This transition was made possible in large part through our partnership with Northern California Grantmakers (NCG), who has been our operational backbone for the first five years of YPF and will continue as a thought partner moving forward. As we grow our capacity, we are deeply grateful for NCG’s continued partnership and flexibility in shifting their work with us in order to open up resources for this role. We thank NCG, our grantees, funding partners, and individual donors for standing with the youth movement and helping YPF continue to advance and sustain youth-led organizing and leadership development across California.
Lastly, YPF in conjunction with key funders and movement partners, launches the Boldest Among Us: Youth-Led Movements Transform Society Statewide Funder Convening Series in Oakland on Thursday March 12th! At this pivotal moment for our communities, YPF is convening funders and donors across California to hear directly from young leaders and organizers about what it takes to build a leadership pathway, strengthen community power, and support lasting, durable change.
This gathering also celebrates five years of youth-led grantmaking in Northern California and officially kick’s off YPF’s statewide expansion. This is one of three events, with convenings in the Central Valley, and in Southern California, to follow in the coming months. Funders and donors are invited to participate in this convening and strategy space.
