Helping teens learn to lead with DoSomething.org

In this article, I'll talk about my service as a board member for DoSomething.org, a nonprofit focused on empowering teens to take action on the issues that matter to them.

I joined DoSomething’s board in January 2022 at the invitation of its CEO, DeNora Getachew . My wife, Mandi White-Ajmani , and I met DeNora through her work at a previous nonprofit, Generation Citizen, which teaches middle and high schoolers civics and how to effect change by identifying and engaging with their representatives and other community authorities. We appreciated the structure of the program and how it taught young people to take action on problems they cared about, so when DeNora became CEO of DoSomething and invited us to get involved, we were eager to participate.

This is the first time I'd ever served on a board, and I had no idea what this entailed. Fortunately there are plenty of tenured board members to help newbies like me learn the ropes. I'm learning a lot.

DoSomething.org has a fascinating history. Founded in 1993, it's one of the oldest “dot orgs” that's still running. DoSomething.org provides a web platform that helps connect teens to service projects that help them make positive change in their community. Over its 30-year history, DoSomething has engaged over 8 million young people and awarded $1.8 million in scholarships. It previously ran award shows on VH1 featuring famous musicians and celebrities, so there’s a pop culture element to the way the organization creates campaigns.

While DoSomething had great success with the “millennial” generation of teens, today's teens are different, and so is their online environment. Now, there are dozens of online platforms that help people find ways to get involved and do good. Teens spend most of their time on social media and video platforms, not on the web. And the issues they care about are big: democracy, the economy, equity, mental health, climate change. As a result of these changes in their target demographic and the technical environment, DoSomething is changing its approach to its mission.

DoSomething’s vision is to transform its online platform to support the growth of individuals as active citizens. Rather than the “transaction” of finding a project, logging participation, and getting service hours, the new platform will focus on helping teens define their civic intent, connect with others who share their goals, and grow as activists and leaders. This is a much richer journey than the previous platform provided, oriented to help the new generation of teens (including my own children) better understand themselves and their collective power.

My role on the board is to leverage my technical expertise and industry connections to support DoSomething and its mission. For example, I serve on the advisory board for the design of their new online platform, I've organized fundraising within Google, and recently I answered questions about generative AI in a discussion with young DoSomething members. I'm enjoying the opportunity to apply what I know to a domain focused on empowering the next generation of leaders.

One of my favorite things about DoSomething is its name. Facebook launched twenty years ago and fostered a generation of people who “like”, reshare, and comment to express their support for issues or their frustration with the lack of progress. This produced a lot of engagement, but little real change. People have learned to express themselves online, but not always in a way that's productive or achieves positive goals. The current generation of teens is different: they are much more aware of the limitations and risks of social media, and they care about making real change happen. They want to do something about the issues they care about. DoSomething aims to empower these young people by helping them find others who share their civic intent and by helping them grow into leaders of change. I'm proud to be part of this organization and support its mission.

If you're interested in learning more, check out DoSomething.org and their latest strategic plan. As a nonprofit, DoSomething welcomes donations; be sure to check whether your company offers to match your gift.