Learning Question: What is Youth Social Action?

In answering this question we share learning about the different types of activity the #iwill Fund has supported, about the mechanisms of change which are hypothesised to make youth social action distinctive and effective, and about some of the more recent innovations that took place due to COVID-19.

Outputs in this section explore:

  • What types of youth social action have been funded, including via digital delivery?
  • What are common Theories of Change?

Towards a Typology of Youth Social Action

Report produced as part of the Sector Evidence Plan workstream.

Read here

Adaptation and Youth Social Action: The Impact of COVID-19

This report presents the #iwill Fund Learning Hub’s work to understand the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic, and associated restrictions, on the delivery of #iwill-Funded youth social action up to October 2020. As this report shows, the necessary innovation shown across many of the #iwill Fund projects shows some promising new approaches, as well as some new learning on how digital can make delivery and engagement harder. This learning is important in understanding the impact of the #iwill Fund, and in developing high-quality youth social action for the future, both under ongoing pandemic conditions, and further ahead.

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Theory of Change guidance for funders and grantees

This report provides guidance on ‘theory of change’ for organisations working within the youth social action particularly those enabling activities for young people. This guidance is for organisations who already have theories of change, to refresh and scrutinise, and for those that do not, to help them create one for the first time. The report introduces what a theory of change is, before sharing what we currently know about theories of change within the #iwill Fund, and why they can be such an important resource for the #iwill Fund Learning Hub in understanding what has been enabled by the #iwill Fund, and what we are learning from this.

Read here

Theory of Change: Guidance for organisations enabling youth social action

This report provides guidance on ‘theory of change’ for organisations working within the youth social action particularly those enabling activities for young people. This guidance is for organisations who already have theories of change, to refresh and scrutinise, and for those that do not, to help them create one for the first time. The report introduces what a theory of change is, before sharing what we currently know about theories of change within the #iwill Fund, and why they can be such an important resource for the #iwill Fund Learning Hub in understanding what has been enabled by the #iwill Fund, and what we are learning from this.

Finally the report provides a guide for delivery organisations – what does a theory of change need to include, what decisions need to be made, and how should it be used? This has been pulled out into a separate, shorter guide that can easily be shared.

Read here