2025 Global Report

Nepal

Simon Gonzalez

Spain / Venezuela

Marcela de Anda

Psigo

Mexico

Natalia Bialobrzewska

kontakt kollektiv

Germany

Ssekitto Kalule Emmanuel

Faces Up Uganda

Uganda

Mélina Marcel

SoScience

France

Emilio Sandoval Hernández

Makoa

Mexico

The 2025 Possibilists Study

Underpaid, underrepresented, under attack, and under stress — yet still rising up. Despite facing dire life circumstances, young changemakers report above-average life satisfaction, driven by their resilience and strong sense of purpose.

Let’s dive into our findings.

About the Study

In early 2025, we surveyed 2,261 young changemakers from 110 countries worldwide as part of The Possibilists Study 2025. 1,043 of them have both a leadership role and completed the full survey, which is the sample this report focused on. The survey ran from February 13 to April 6 2025, and was disseminated through 21 global Possibilists Alliance members, and nearly 250 regional and local Network Partners.

Building on the insights of the 2023 Study, this year’s edition focused on young people aged 14 to 35 who are currently leading initiatives that address pressing social and environmental challenges. To increase accessibility and participation, the survey was offered in nine languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish.

Demographic Details

1043

young changemakers

110

countries

Age

Gender

Origin

Do you identify as a member of a marginalised or discriminated group?

Nearly half of this year’s sample self-identifies as part of a marginalised group, representing a 7% increase from the previous survey in 2023 — a significant shift. While it remains challenging to generalise this finding to the broader changemaker community, it is fair to conclude that many changemakers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are driven by a strong personal motivation to create meaningful impact. In fact, 29.7% of all respondents cited advocating for disadvantaged groups as one of their main motivators.

Do you identify as a member of a marginalised or discriminated group?

Nearly half of this year’s sample self-identifies as part of a marginalised group, representing a 7% increase from the previous survey in 2023 — a significant shift. While it remains challenging to generalise this finding to the broader changemaker community, it is fair to conclude that many changemakers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are driven by a strong personal motivation to create meaningful impact. In fact, 29.7% of all respondents cited advocating for disadvantaged groups as one of their main motivators.

Do you identify as a member of an Indigenous group?

Even more striking than the numbers on marginalisation, 21% of respondents identify as part of an Indigenous group. Compared to global estimates, this percentage is notably high, highlighting a significant representation of Indigenous voices within this sample. The Indigenous groups mentioned spanned the world and were often closely tied to specific religious and cultural traditions; examples included the Toba Batak Tribe from North Sumatra, Indonesia; the Yoruba in Nigeria; Pacific Islanders such as Melanesians; the Kuki people, mostly in Manipur, India; the Owambo, one of the indigenous groups in Namibia; the Nama (Khoi) people, an Indigenous group in Southern Africa; the Cherokee of North America; the Quechua of Apurímac, Peru; and the Berbère of North Africa.*

*It is also worth noting that The Possibilists’ efforts to be more inclusive may be reflected in the data sample.

Do you identify as a member of an Indigenous group?

Even more striking than the numbers on marginalisation, 21% of respondents identify as part of an Indigenous group. Compared to global estimates, this percentage is notably high, highlighting a significant representation of Indigenous voices within this sample. The Indigenous groups mentioned spanned the world and were often closely tied to specific religious and cultural traditions; examples included the Toba Batak Tribe from North Sumatra, Indonesia; the Yoruba in Nigeria; Pacific Islanders such as Melanesians; the Kuki people, mostly in Manipur, India; the Owambo, one of the indigenous groups in Namibia; the Nama (Khoi) people, an Indigenous group in Southern Africa; the Cherokee of North America; the Quechua of Apurímac, Peru; and the Berbère of North Africa.*

*It is also worth noting that The Possibilists’ efforts to be more inclusive may be reflected in the data sample.

Case Studies

Christopher Daccache

RECYCLER

Lebanon

Isobel Boyd

YOUth Heroes

Canada

Insights

A Notable Uptick In Newly Founded Initiatives

In 2025, 31.2% of respondents reported founding their initiative within the past year — a noticeable increase from 20.3% in the previous study. While these figures reflect a moment-in-time snapshot of a diverse sample, the data suggests that young changemakers are choosing to create their own paths to impact by launching new initiatives and cultivating their entrepreneurial energy.

Scaling Momentum Is Accelerating

The number of youth impact leaders from this year’s sample who identify as being in the scaling phase has nearly doubled compared to the 2023 Report. In the 2025 Study, 23.5% of respondents reported that they are actively scaling their initiatives — up from 12.1% in 2023. This sharp increase may signal a growing ambition among young changemakers to expand their reach and deepen their systemic impact, despite ongoing challenges related to funding and burnout.

Case Studies

Amina Idan Paul

Écolo à Djibouti

Djibouti

Isobel Boyd

YOUth Heroes

Canada

Simon Gonzalez

Opportunities for Caribbean Youth (OFCY)

Spain / Venezuela

Workforce
And Volunteers

On average, the initiatives from the report’s sample have 1.9 paid employees, collectively employing 1,995 changemakers.

On average, the initiatives have 2.7 unpaid volunteers working at their organisation, with over 2,808 individuals contributing to the initiative’s impact.

Given that the average organisation size is currently small and that 23.5% cite being in the scaling phase, we can imagine that topics surrounding HR, recruiting, and leadership will be on the minds of many changemakers in the coming years.

What Drives Young Changemakers

When asked to identify their top three personal motivators for developing their initiatives, respondents shared the following:

A strong sense of collective purpose drives young changemakers. The top motivator, reported by 64% of respondents, is the desire to empower others to become changemakers themselves — highlighting the ripple effect of impact. Additionally, 59% are motivated by a commitment to addressing urgent global challenges, while 45% are driven by the goal of supporting their local communities. This reflects a generation that truly embodies the “think global, act local” mindset.

Participants could choose up to three main motivators for their work, including the following options:

– To develop my own employment opportunities
– Personally affected by the issue
– Someone close to me is/was affected (e.g., family, friends, local community)
– My community is/was affected
– To support my community
– To address urgent global issues (e.g., climate change, inequality)
– To advocate for disadvantaged groups and influence policies
– To empower others (youth or target groups) for changemaking

– Other
– please specify

Amina Idan Paul

Écolo à Djibouti

Djibouti

Jahmel Brown

Jamaica

What Young Changemakers Are Working On

When asked to consider their work within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework, young social innovators are primarily focused on addressing some of humanity’s most pressing issues: education, climate change, and good health and wellbeing.

When compared to the 2023 report, SDG 4 (Quality Education) remains the top focus area, holding steady at 37.8%, down slightly from 39.2% in 2023. SDG 13 (Climate Action) retains its second position, with its percentage rising from 30.9% in 2023 to 34.6% in 2025, reflecting continued urgency and growing awareness around climate change. SDG 5 (Gender Equality) has dropped by 6.8 percentage points, losing its position as the third priority, while SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) has moved back into the third key focus area, which it lost in 2023, at 22.9%.

SDG 4

Quality education

37.8%

SDG 13

Climate action

34.6%

SDG 3

Good health and wellbeing

22.9%

Distribution across SDGs

Purpose-Driven Work Supports Life Satisfaction

Young changemakers report a higher average life satisfaction than the global population, even though many face financial struggles, burnout, and marginalisation. While overall satisfaction has declined slightly since the last survey (from a 7 to a 6.2), this cohort continues to report wellbeing levels that significantly outpace global norms. This becomes even more apparent when looking at specific countries, e.g. in our sample, changemakers in Kenya reported an average life satisfaction of 5.67 (compared to the national average of 4.51), those in Nigeria 5.60 (vs. 4.89), and those in India 6.25 (vs. 4.39).

Life Happiness

The current cohort reports increased rates of burnout, financial and existential stress, and higher representation of marginalised identities—yet their reported life satisfaction remains above the global average. This contrast raises a few interesting questions. Does alignment with purpose drive greater happiness despite hardship? Are young changemakers uniquely optimistic? Or is our sample skewed toward the most engaged and energised individuals who are more likely to participate in such studies? Regardless of the explanation, the data points to the resilience and wellbeing benefits potentially associated with mission-driven work.

World Happiness Report 2022-2024

The Possibilists 2025

World Happiness Report 2022-2024
limited to countries included in our study sample*

Median

Mean

Changemakers Favor Collaborative Over Strongman Leadership

Compared to global averages from the World Values Survey, young changemakers express more skepticism toward strong, centralised individual leadership. While their views still reflect broader global attitudes shaped by cultural and political context, there is a noticeable preference within this group for leadership that is expert-driven and socially-minded, rather than authoritarian, signaling a leaning toward collaborative, evidence-based governance models.

*The World Values Survey (WVS) is a global research initiative that investigates people's values, beliefs, and cultural attitudes across countries. It examines how these values evolve and impact social and political development. WVS has conducted seven rounds of surveys since 1981, covering nearly 100 countries and representing over 90% of the world's population. The most recent survey was launched in 2024.

Very bad

Fairly bad

Fairly good

Very good

Results: The Possibilists

Very bad

Fairly bad

Fairly good

Very good

Jo Bautista

SendtoGive, Philippines

Tara Roos

WE ARE TOMORROW GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP, South Africa

Alhassan Baba Muniru

Recycle Up!, Ghana

Wara Iris Ruiz Condori

GREEN VOICES, Bolivia

Avina Ajit

RIO, India

Challenges

Changemakers Are Under Threat And At Risk

Almost a fourth of all changemakers have actually experienced some form of threats or online backlash as a result of their work.

Have you ever experienced threats or backlash online as a result of your work. (e.g. Mobbing, digital violence like hate speech, targeted campaigns, being hacked)

69% No

24% Yes

6% Prefer not to say

1% Skipped

11 out 100 changemakers have experienced some form of extreme repression due to their work, including imprisonment, pushback from the government, or physical injury.

Of those who reported “Yes”, MENA (15%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (11%) reported the highest rates of severe repression, while Middle/South America (5%) and North America (4%) had the lowest.

Have you ever experienced severe repressions as a result of your work (e.g. imprisonment, pushback from the government in your country, physical injury, civil/political prosecution)

84% No

11% Yes

5% Prefer not to say

1% Skipped

Financial Insecurity And Overload Remain Persistent Barriers To Success

When asked to identify the one single greatest hurdle to their success, changemakers most frequently cited a lack of financial stability, followed by coming from a disadvantaged background, and having to juggle other responsibilities. (⚠️ Please note that in 2021 and 2023 participants could name several barriers instead of just choosing their 'biggest barrier', hence the significant difference in percentages.)

Since 2021, a lack of personal financial security has consistently been the most cited barrier preventing changemakers from successfully advancing their initiatives. This ongoing trend points to a clear pattern: funding support remains the greatest hurdle to success. Juggling multiple responsibilities—such as work, education, and caregiving—has also remained one of the top three challenges since 2021. Taken together, the data reveals that many young changemakers are navigating their work under immense pressure. They are often forced to take on external paid jobs to support themselves, operate with minimal team support, and manage competing demands during a formative life stage. These findings underscore the structural and systemic barriers that continue to limit young changemakers’ ability to fully realise their impact.

Lack of personal financial stability

22.9%

Coming from a disadvantaged background

19.1%

Juggling other responsibilities

17.4%

High risk of burnout

6.6%

Case-Study:
Financial Insecurity

Simon Gonzalez

Spain / Venezuela

Location

Spain / Venezuela

Initiative

Sustein is redefining the future of healthcare waste by transforming local waste into local products on a global scale through a replicable technology capable of upcycling >70% of healthcare waste. With a single production line, they craft beautifully designed, high-performance circular products, including thermal and acoustic insulation, rigid boards, and pellets for the construction and design industries.

“I’m going through one of our most challenging times right now. The project depends on financial support. Everyone loves it. It makes sense from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. It has it all: impact, systems thinking, circular economy, new materials, untapped markets, a new paradigm, new behaviour, and smarter cities. Local improvement… all while being already validated and adopted by the construction industry.
We have a passionate team, a full network that believes in the project, and now, even investors are showing interest. But not enough. We’re running out of time because we’re running out of money.”

“I’m going through one of our most challenging times right now. The project depends on financial support. Everyone loves it. It makes sense from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. It has it all: impact, systems thinking, circular economy, new materials, untapped markets, a new paradigm, new behavior, and smarter cities. Local improvement… all while being already validated and adopted by the construction industry.
We have a passionate team, a full network that believes in the project, and now, even investors are showing interest. But not enough. We’re running out of time because we’re running out of money.

It’s a hard feeling, knowing you’re giving everything: your health, your savings, your family time – mornings and evenings with your son. And yet, it might still not be enough, because, practically, there are no financial resources left, and it’s only a matter of time to find the bold ones willing to join the purpose and journey.

The belief remains. The passion remains. This is a project that society needs—and that society will adopt. Maybe we’re just 5cm away from finding the investor to allow a new phase. Perhaps we just need to dig a little deeper and send one more email. Take one more shot that could change everything…”

Sources Of Income

Unlike in past surveys, we also asked changemakers this year whether or not they depended on their work as a source of income, to provide even further context on the financial health of changemakers. 48.3% have no other sources of income, i.e. do depend on their work as the main source of income, while 51.2% have other sources of income. Most striking: Among those who are entirely dependent on their initiative for income, a third (33.9%) are not earning anything, highlighting a serious and concerning income gap.

48.3% Yes

51.2% No

0.5% Skipped

The Financial Reality Of Changemaking

Financial precarity remains a major challenge for young changemakers. While over half (51.2%) rely solely on their initiative as their only source of income, only 7.1% can fully cover their living expenses through it. Alarmingly, 75.4% report earning only half or less of what they need, and 41.7% receive no compensation at all. While their dedication is highly commendable, in what other industry would one-third of the workforce not receive any compensation? Instead of rewarding those who seek to make the world a better place, we seem to be normalising working conditions that exploit youth and their idealism.

Gender dimension

The ability to compensate was consistent across gender lines, with 43% of those identifying as male and 40% of those identifying as female reporting that they were not able to compensate at all.

Filter by

Are you able to compensate yourself financially from your work on your initiative?

Filter by...

Are you able to compensate yourself financially from your work on your initiative?

Young Entrepreneurs Struggle To Meet Basic Needs

In line with the above data on their financial health, the data reveals that many young changemakers are facing severe material hardship. Over 40% of them had periods in their lives where they’d gone without enough food, more than half have experienced times when they had to forgo necessary medical treatment, and 65% report periods without any cash income. Compared to global findings from the World Value Survey, this sample highlights that young changemakers — and often their families — struggle to meet even their most basic needs. These realities challenge the common assumption that social or impact entrepreneurs can afford to earn little in the early years of their work; for many, this is not a temporary financial sacrifice but an ongoing struggle to meet basic, existential needs.

The Double Burden:
Navigating Changemaking From A Disadvantaged Background

45% of changemakers surveyed identify as coming from a marginalised background, and 19.1% cite coming from a disadvantaged background as the single most significant barrier to their success. This suggests that nearly half of those from marginalised backgrounds are also experiencing the weight of discrimination and systemic barriers that hold them back. These individuals carry a double burden — facing not only the challenges inherent to changemaking but also the deeply personal impacts of marginalisation. It’s important to recognise that while each of these challenges alone can feel overwhelming, together they can seem insurmountable. And yet, changemakers persist.

Filter by

While both non-marginalised and marginalised groups struggle to pay themselves a cash income, those from marginalised backgrounds report consistently higher levels of struggling to meet basic needs, with 47.6 (nearly half) reporting they sometimes or often go without enough food to eat, and more than half (59.5%) forgoing medical care.

In the last 12 months, how often have you or your family...?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Not selected

Marginalised: Yes

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Not selected

Case Study

Coming From A Disadvantaged Background

Bipana Dhakal

Nepal

Location

Nepal

Initiative

Opportunities for Caribbean Youth (OFCY)

The Learning Fortress (TLF), addresses educational inequity and community development through systems thinking in underserved and rural marginalised communities of Nepal.

„As someone from a small under-resourced rural village, I’ve often had to fight against stereotypes, tokenism, and systemic exclusion. My age and gender have frequently led to me being underestimated or overlooked. However, I turned these challenges into opportunities by building a community foundation grounded in trust and community and by relentlessly pursuing platforms that value authenticity and community-driven change.“

“You are too young, a girl, and you are building a community foundation from your own pocket money, it’s silly …what can you change?” are some of the comments passed on to me when I was starting The Learning Fortress. Convincing people to believe in a young girl’s vision was a daily battle. There were moments of self-doubt and exhaustion, yet I knew giving up was not an option. I chose to focus on action over words. By taking small, meaningful steps and delivering tangible results, I slowly began to build trust within the community. For instance, I initiated local learning sessions with children and youth, demonstrating the impact that even basic access to education and shared knowledge could have. These early successes became the foundation for a broader movement. What truly kept me going was the unwavering support of my parents and the youth from my village who shared my vision and stood by me throughout the journey. Their belief in our cause gave me the strength to persevere, and together, we proved that even the smallest actions, when driven by passion and consistency, can create ripples of meaningful change. Overcoming these challenges not only strengthened my resolve but also deepened my commitment to empowering others to rise above similar barriers.

Young changemakers from marginalised communities don’t seek rescue; we seek recognition, trust, and meaningful opportunities. What truly makes a difference is creating platforms that amplify our voices, celebrate our stories, and provide equitable access to resources. Genuine inclusion isn’t about charity; it’s about fostering environments where diverse ideas are valued, systemic barriers are dismantled, and youth-driven solutions are empowered to thrive. Supporting us means believing in our potential to lead change and equipping us with the tools and trust to make it happen. True inclusion transforms advocacy into action and ensures no one is left behind.“

Jahmel Brown

Jamaica

„I have encountered considerable obstacles related to my age, socioeconomic status, and geographic location — each of which has influenced my personal experiences and the establishment of Opportunities for Caribbean Youth.

Having grown up in Tower Hill, an underprivileged inner-city neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica, I have witnessed the systemic inequities that frequently hinder access to educational and career opportunities. My background was marked by financial limitations, social prejudices, and limited exposure to global possibilities — issues that were further exacerbated by my youth, which occasionally led others to undervalue my potential for leadership and vision.“

„The pressure of wanting to build something meaningful, while feeling like I couldn’t afford to drop any balls, felt overwhelming.

To move through it, I had to step back and get honest with myself. I reached out to mentors, delegated wherever possible, and allowed myself not to be perfect. I started setting better boundaries and focused more on building a support system—both personally and professionally.

Looking back, having a co-founder or early operational support would have made a huge difference. More structured mental health check-ins, or even founder coaching early on, could have helped me build resilience proactively. And perhaps most importantly, I wish I had set clearer expectations for myself: reminding myself that success doesn’t come from doing everything at once, but from doing the right things at the right time.“

Grace Kaimburi

Kenya

Location

Kenya

Initiative

Emission Pulse is an environmental tool that monitors emissions from vehicles using a device installed in the car, which connects to a mobile app on the driver’s phone. It translates real-time emissions data into simple, actionable insights—like how many trees would be needed to offset the pollution generated. Our mission is to empower individuals and communities to take ownership of their carbon footprint, starting with transport.

„As a young African woman building a hardware-based climate solution, I often face skepticism in spaces that are dominated by older, more established voices—especially in tech and environmental policy. There’s an unspoken expectation that innovation from our region should stay simple, and that ideas requiring infrastructure or hardware are “too ambitious” for African entrepreneurs. This mindset is deeply limiting.“

„Additionally, as a founder operating from Nairobi, I sometimes face constraints like limited access to local prototyping facilities, expensive electronics imports, and inconsistent support for product development outside of Nairobi’s small innovation ecosystem. I’ve tackled these barriers by showcasing results—running pilots, collecting data, and letting the solution prove itself. But honestly, it takes a toll. What would help is not just access to resources, but a shift in mindset—one that trusts young Africans to build bold, practical, and transformative solutions that address the continent’s real challenges with creativity and precision.

Please don’t underestimate the vision and grit of young innovators, especially those from Africa. We are not just reacting to problems; we are reimagining entire systems. But too often, support mechanisms are designed with a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores our unique challenges and undervalues our contextual knowledge. My journey with Emission Pulse has taught me that young changemakers are incredibly resourceful—we build while underfunded, test while unsupported, and lead while still being told to “wait our turn.” What we need is less paternalism and more co-creation. Involve us in designing funding criteria, in shaping innovation policy, and in choosing what success looks like. Support us with tools, yes—but also with trust. If the global community truly wants to unlock bold solutions to complex problems like climate change, it must begin by trusting young people to lead—not tomorrow, not someday, but now.“

Alternative Sources Of Income For Young Changemakers

Do you have products and services that you can sell to corporate partners?

Interestingly when asked whether in theory, they'd have any products and services they could 'sell' to corporate partners more than half of those surveyed say their work is suitable for corporate partnerships. It’s evident that young changemakers want to collaborate across sectors, and supporting them in establishing these corporate partnerships could be a mutually beneficial exchange, both for scaling their impact, as well as for generating much-needed additional revenue. Corporations can provide the economic stability that many young changemakers desperately need while they create innovative products, solutions, and ideas.

The data also points to a broader opportunity: social procurement. Integrating social enterprises and impact-driven businesses into existing value chains can help young changemakers scale their solutions more quickly and sustainably, thus advancing social and environmental impact at a greater pace.

53% Yes

46% No

1% Skipped

A Constant Juggling Act

Apart from your current work on your initiative, do you also have other professional commitments?

Yes

No

Skipped

17.9% of Possibilists say the single greatest challenge preventing them from succeeding on their own initiative is juggling various responsibilities, not only within the organisation, but also including other jobs, families, and academic pursuits. In many cases, their initiatives must be put on the back burner as they search for employment that can cover their living expenses. This reduces the time, energy, and resources they can invest in growing their initiative and its impact.

79% of respondents have other professional commitments (e.g. another job, studying, etc.) in addition to their work on their initiative. This number is nearly unchanged since 2021, which was comparable at 79%.

Since 75.4% of young changemakers can only cover half or less than half of their necessary income through work on their own initiative, 51.2% turn to other sources of income to support themselves.

Case Study

Juggling Various Responsibilities

Caroline Schober

Neworn

Austria

One of the most challenging moments in my journey came during the early stages of building Neworn. I was juggling everything — product development, fundraising, community building, logistics — alone. There was one particular week where everything seemed to hit at once: a tech bug that disrupted orders, a delayed partnership deal we were counting on, and a pitch competition that didn’t go as planned. I remember sitting at my desk late at night, completely drained, questioning whether I was in over my head.

One of the most challenging moments in my journey came during the early stages of building Neworn. I was juggling everything—product development, fundraising, community building, logistics— alone. There was one particular week where everything seemed to hit at once: a tech bug that disrupted orders, a delayed partnership deal we were counting on, and a pitch competition that didn’t go as planned. I remember sitting at my desk late at night, completely drained, questioning whether I was in over my head.

The pressure of wanting to build something meaningful, while feeling like I couldn’t afford to drop any balls, felt overwhelming.

To move through it, I had to step back and get honest with myself. I reached out to mentors, delegated wherever possible, and allowed myself not to be perfect. I started setting better boundaries and focused more on building a support system — both personally and professionally.

Looking back, having a co-founder or early operational support would have made a huge difference. More structured mental health check-ins, or even founder coaching early on, could have helped me build resilience proactively. And perhaps most importantly, I wish I had set clearer expectations for myself: reminding myself that success doesn’t come from doing everything at once, but from doing the right things at the right time.

Burnout Remains A Persistent Challenge

One in three changemakers (33.1%) now report experiencing some form of burnout, up from one in four (26.4%) in 2023. The proportion of those facing the most severe form, those who question whether they can continue and say they need help, has also increased, rising from 5.8% to an alarming 9.7%. These figures are deeply concerning, especially given that those experiencing the highest levels of burnout may be less likely to participate in surveys at all.

The Gender Burnout Gap:

35.8% of females reported experiencing burnout compared to 24.3 males, suggesting a pretty significant gender gap. And while 32.7% of males reported enjoying their work and experiencing no symptoms of burnout, only 18.3% of females said the same.

Note: While the data points to a potential rise in burnout, it’s important to consider that changes in the survey tool over time may affect comparability. Although the question has remained largely consistent, elements like a dropdown definition of burnout in the latest version could influence how participants interpret and respond.

By Year

Case Study

Mental Health And Managing Stress

Yusuf Munna

Reflective Teens - RT

Bangladesh

There’s a misconception that entrepreneurship is about excitement and freedom — but truthfully, it comes with an intense emotional burden. Unlike a regular job, there’s no job description, no defined hours, and often, no one else to fall back on.

There’s a misconception that entrepreneurship is about excitement and freedom—but truthfully, it comes with an intense emotional burden. Unlike a regular job, there’s no job description, no defined hours, and often, no one else to fall back on.

I’ve had moments where we had just a month’s worth of runway left for the organization. The thought of letting go of people I deeply care about — people who have stood by the mission through thick and thin — was crushing. And yet, on the outside, I had to maintain calm, motivate the team, and keep things moving as if everything was perfectly fine.

What helped me through those tough moments was journaling. It’s a quiet space where I reflect, process my emotions, and remind myself: “Yusuf, you’ve made it through worse. You’ll make it again.” That inner dialogue, that resilience, is what kept me going.

What could’ve helped? Perhaps a more open culture around mental health for entrepreneurs. Sometimes just knowing that you’re not alone in these struggles is half the battle.

How Changemakers Manage Stress?

To cope with stress, I have always resorted to meditation.

I tell my friends and relatives about it and often spend time with my children.

I try to have personal spaces that are not permeated by work.

Climate Anxiety As A Daily Reality

82.1% of changemakers are very or extremely worried that climate change threatens people and the planet, and 53.8% say these feelings negatively affect their daily lives, figures nearly identical to those from 2023 (82.3% and 53.5%).

These levels of concern are higher than those reported in comparable international studies, even among younger age cohorts. This persistent emotional toll highlights how acutely young changemakers feel the impact of the climate crisis and its consequences. In practice, this means that many are living in a near-constant state of anxiety, an experience with serious implications for their long-term health and wellbeing, particularly given that these individuals are already at high risk of burnout.

51% Extremely worried

31.1% Very worried

10.8% Moderately worried

3.9% A little worried

1.9% Not worried

1.9% Prefer not to say

Needs

WhereSupport Is Needed Most

Young changemakers expressed a wide range of pressing needs across many different dimensions. We believe this gives the global support ecosystem a strong mandate to sustain and expand offerings to those in need.

Collaboration

86.2%

Personal Development

81%

Finance

80.7%

Impact

80.5%

Not selected

Not important

Neutral

Important

Not selected

Not important

Neutral

Important

Yusuf Munna

Reflective Teens - RT

Bangladesh

Grace Kaimburi

Dive deeper into our AI Report

Kenya

Caroline Schober

Neworn

Austria

Rawia Ibrahim

Jobs4Sudan

Qatar

The Use Of AI

The complexity of AI is reflected in the perspectives of changemakers. While 65.2% of changemakers use AI regularly and 66.4% feel confident in their ability to use it, only 25% say they actually trust AI.

A strong majority, 81.5%, agree that AI has many beneficial applications; yet, 67.1% report ethical concerns about its use, and 64.2% express concerns about its environmental impact.

These paradoxes underscore the nuanced and often conflicting attitudes toward AI as an emerging technology, underscoring the need for more open dialogue on how to utilize AI ethically and responsibly.

38.3% Often (every week)

26.9% Always (every day)

18.4% Sometimes (once a month)

10.1% Rarely

5.7% Never

0.6% Prefer not to say

Recommendations

If young people are giving up their financial security and wellbeing to improve the state of the world, it is our responsibility and duty to offer them REAL and meaningful support. In order to improve the lives of changemakers, strengthen their ventures and develop the change making ecosystem, we recommend the following actions. They have been developed through multiple conversations with members of The Possibilists Alliance, as well as qualitative interviews with 8 young changemakers from around the world. In addition, they build on important existing reports, including the State of Youth Civil Society by Restless Development, the OECD report on Unlocking the Potential of Youth-led Social Enterprises, the United Nations report on meaningful youth engagement and Unlock the Future’s Challenge Paper on resourcing youth-led initiatives.

Support Networks

Funders

Policy Makers

Changemakers

Focus On The Person, Not Just The Organisation

Look beyond the ventures they run, and look at how your programming can support them through personal growth and challenges.

Break The Heropreneur Paradigm

Open up activities to the founders’ teams, and ensure a more equal distribution of knowledge and resources.

Use ‘Changemaker-centered’ Design

Whenever possible, develop individualized offerings that are tailored towards the young changemakers’ diverse needs, rather than your own, or those of the programme funders.

Prioritize Wellbeing

Work to improve the wellbeing of changemakers, and include specific activities that help them prevent burnout in your programmes.

Build Acumen

Bring ‘business’ expertise and commercial know-how to your programmes via mentors or connections to corporates.

Respect Their Time

Accept that young people are often juggling various responsibilities alongside their initiatives. Don’t put extra pressure on them with excessive deadlines & surveys. Consider different time zones and availabilities when running activities.

Invest In Relationships

Effective collaboration cannot be rushed or forced. When aiming to create opportunities for changemakers to collaborate with each other, invest time into building initial trust and human connection.

Communicate Clearly

Effectively communicate what your programme offers, so that young changemakers can differentiate it from other existing options.

Walk The Walk!

Involve young people in key leadership positions in your networks, and try to break down hierarchies in your own organizations to avoid replicating systemic inequalities.

Become Facilitation Pros

Gathering groups of young people and/or connecting them to key stakeholders necessitates good facilitation skills, invest in training for your team(s)!

Compensate Young People

Whenever you invite young people to micro-engagements as speakers or advisors, ensure you compensate them for their time.

Use A DEI Lens

Re-evaluate all of your processes from a diversity and inclusion perspective. Consider how to improve processes for those who have poor internet connection or are not fluent in English.

Download Recommendations List

Rebalance Power

Really trust young people to lead and give them decision making power; avoid upholding systemic inequalities that disempower young people.

Co-create

When designing grants designated for young changemakers, co-create your strategies with young people from the word go, then during implementation involve them in key decisions.

Give Flexibly

As much as possible, give unrestricted funding, allow young grantees to respond and adapt to fast changing social and environmental problems.

Allow Overhead

One of the biggest challenges faced by young entrepreneurs is often covering the fixed costs of their organizations. Ensure that budgets can cover personnel and overhead costs.

Living Stipends

Do not overlook the fact that some changemakers, especially those that self identify as marginalized, can struggle to cover basic costs of rent, food and medical supplies. Your consideration of granting personal living stipends can make a crucial difference.

Remove Barriers

Make applying for grants and support as easy as possible. Make reporting as easy as possible (Challenge: Can you cut it in half?).

Be Responsive & Transparent

Communicate your decision-making process transparently. Remain responsive towards young individuals that may not have proven successful in their application (and consider compensating them for the time they spend creating their proposal).

Commit Long-term

Provide support in the long run(Why end funding after three years if the job is not done yet?)

Use A DEI Lens

Re-evaluate your processes with a diversity and inclusion based perspective. Consider how to optimize processes for those who have poor internet connection or are not fluent in English.

Seek Out Unusual Suspects

Those who self identify as marginalized face even bigger hurdles to funding. Actively seek out grantees from under-represented groups and look beyond those who are most adept at proposal writing.

Compensate Young People!

Whenever you invite young people to micro-engagements as speakers or advisors, ensure financial compensation for their time.

Go Local

Do not neglect the option of directly funding local youth-led organizations, especially in areas where the biggest proportions of youth live, but access to funding is lowest.

Download Recommendations List

Meaningfully Engage

There is a huge difference between meaningful and tokenistic engagement, ensure all your teams are well versed in this differentiation.

Rethink Formats

Most gatherings which are focused on developing policy (e.g. WEF, COP) are not facilitated or set up in a conducive way for young people to meaningfully contribute. Think about new, innovative and participatory event formats.

Use A DEI Lens

Re-evaluate all of your processes from a diversity and inclusion perspective. Consider how to improve processes for those who have poor internet connection or are not fluent in English.

Respect Young Changemakers

Acknowledge young changemakers as contributors, innovators and knowledge-holders on the basis of their perspectives and experiences and give them a seat at the table which reflects this.

Aim High For Participation:

Empowering youth with full autonomy over decisions is a challenging form of participation in policy-making but should be aimed for when possible.

Engage At Each Stage Of The Policy Cycle

Try to involve young people at each stage of the policy cycle (design, planning, analysis, implementation and evaluation)

Give Clear Legal Frameworks

Many young social entrepreneurs have to use alternative legal structures which don’t reflect their hybrid business & impact models.

Improve The Evidence Base

Improve the evidence base on youth-led initiatives. Incomplete data collection on youth driven impact is a barrier for both policy makers and the public to fully assess their challenges and impact.

Connect Young People & Governments

Local municipalities are often critical ‘replication partners’ for social innovations but connections between them and young changemakers are rare.

Better Integrate Changemaking Into The Education System

Research shows the importance of starting out early in one’s changemaking journey. Current education policy and curricula however, do little to cultivate the skills necessary to effect social change.

Visibility

Give visibility and recognition to young changemakers via awards and communication campaigns.

Download Recommendations List

Ask to Be Paid!

Many funders and ecosystem organizations are not used to the idea of compensating young people for micro-engagements. Help us to change their mindset on this by raising awareness!

Break The Heropreneur Paradigm

Share spotlight and opportunities with your teams and ensure knowledge and resources are more equally spread.

Prioritize Self-care!

Wellbeing inspires well-doing, you will ultimately not be able to sustain your impact if you cannot do so for yourself, and may burn-out.

Fall In Love with the Problem

We believe that this mantra from the world of entrepreneurship is even more pertinent to social change. Try not to become too attached to your own solution, but instead focus on the problem you are trying to tackle.

Apprentice With The Problem

Social change is not about ‘innovating’ in a vacuum, it’s about fully understanding the problem and the people affected by it.

Aim For he Root

Beware of the temptation of the quick fix and look deeper at the roots of the problem you are trying to solve. Understand the system in which it is embedded.

Think Collaboratively

Because of this systemic complexity, transformative impact simply cannot happen in isolation. Collaboration is the only way.

Find Your Tribe

Don’t underestimate the power of finding a community of people who share your challenges and support each other.

Practice Saying No!

Starting out, we are often trying to wear many hats and looking to gain experience quickly. Be mindful about what you agree to. Saying no is about prioritization, reducing opportunity costs and being more self-aware.

Seek Out Support

There is an abundance of existing support for young changemakers. From corporate mentoring to legal advice; seek it out and grab it!

Have A Life-long Learning Mindset

The social and environmental problems we are facing are complex and fast-changing. The mindset with which we can tackle them is one which is always open to new ideas and approaches.

Be Coachable!

This is one of the most crucial traits of effective changemakers. This means being open to learning from others, self-reflecting, and confronting uncomfortable truths.

Download Checklist

We're In. Can We Count On You To Join Us?

This study is only the beginning. Young social innovators around the world have spoken an now it’s our chance, and our duty, to respond in meaningful ways. Real and long-term sustainable change will require all stakeholders to participate.

Find out how at thepossibilits.org

The Possibilists Huddles
- A Call for Action

To support anyone eager to engage more deeply with the data and take action to improve conditions for changemakers in their country or community, we created The Possibilists Huddles: a minute-by-minute guide and script designed to help you make sense of The Possibilists Report, contextualize the findings, and spark meaningful local action for young changemakers.

Download it here

Help Us Spread The Word

You think many more people should hear of this report? We agree! To that end we’ve created an extensive communications package, including visuals, social media captions, quotes, images, a press release and more. Please help us spread the word.

Download Comms Package

Who We Are

Initiated by ChangemakerXchange, The Possibilists is an alliance of 20 of the world’s largest youth social innovation networks and over 50 local and regional youth organisations. They have a combined total reach of thousands of young changemakers, activists and startup social entrepreneurs globally. Together we deliver real insights into the lives and work of changemakers and co-create systemic solutions to improve the conditions for Possibilists everywhere.

Academic Partner:

Kindly supported by:

Design & code by:

The Possibilists Council

The Possibilists Council is a group of 12 leaders from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. They provide feedback, input and guidance to The Possibilists Team and The Possibilists Alliance. Through their invaluable contribution, we ensure that our work, surveys and activities are rooted in the lived experience of changemakers

Amina Idan Paul

Écolo à Djibouti

Djibouti

Amina is the founder of Écolo à Djibouti, with a mission to advance environmental education and science communication. Amina and her team actively work with schools, local communities, neighborhood leaders, and academic institutions to raise awareness among the Djiboutian population, particularly youth, about climate and environmental issues, while providing them with practical tools to take action.

Bipana Dhakal

Nepal

Bipana is the founder and CEO of 'The Learning Fortress', a community-based foundation that advocates for and provides non-formal education spaces for children in rural and marginalized Nepali communities. Their particular focus is on delivering education in ways that celebrate creativity, agency, and local identity.

Caroline Schober

Neworn

Austria

Caroline founded Neworn, which helps parents make sustainable choices and offer a platform, where they can sell and buy high-quality children’s clothes and accesoires within a trustworthy community, while rewarding them with exclusive discounts from their local and sustainable partner companies.

Christopher Daccache

RECYCLER

Lebanon

Christopher is the founder of Recycler, an eco-venture specialized in solid waste management, environmental education, sustainable innovation, and agriculture. His mission is to support youth in building the skills necessary to become effective climate advocates.

Grace Kaimburi

Opportunities for Caribbean Youth (OFCY)

Kenya

Grace runs Emission Pulse, a social and environmental initiative aimed at leveraging innovative technology to monitor and reduce carbon emissions, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions. Their work focuses on creating data-driven solutions to enhance transparency in emission reporting, with the ultimate goal of supporting policy shifts towards a greener future.

Isobel Boyd

YOUth Heroes

Canada

Isobel co-founded YOUth Heroes, a youth-led organization that provides mentorship and resources to underserved youth in Ottawa, Canada. The program focuses on teaching the importance of philanthropy and education, inspiring and guiding young people to become agents of social change within their communities.

Jahmel Brown

Jamaica

Jahmel is the founder of Opportunities for Caribbean Youth (OFCY), an online youth platform which provides guidance to for young people looking to upskill, find new jobs, or gain access to more youth opportunities for self-development.

Rawia Ibrahim

Jobs4Sudan

Qatar

Rawia runs a social initiative called Jobs4Sudan with a mission to support sudanese professionals, and navigate career obstacles, offering resources and guidance to enhance their skills and achieve their career objectives.

Simon Gonzalez