We Are Family Foundation

Youth to the front fund: as a leader in the youth space, we are family foundation (waff) created the youth to the front fund (yttff) in 2020 to fund and support bipoc (black, indigenous, people of color) and bipoc-ally youth activists, youth-led organizations, projects, innovations, and creative solutions that are at the forefront of fighting systemic racism, inequity, and injustice in the united states and around the world. We call them "frontliners." since its inception, yttff has funded the transformative work of frontliners under the age of 30 from 51 countries across six continents and 21 u.s. States, spanning sectors including education reform, disability justice, technology, public advocacy, environmental justice, health, refugee support, and lgbtq+ rights. To date, 110 projects have received funding and support, advancing work in areas such as indigenous knowledge protection, climate restoration, holistic healing, food justice, policy reform, and anti-racism in schools. U.s.-based projects represent communities in arizona, california, colorado, florida, georgia, illinois, louisiana, maryland, massachusetts, minnesota, missouri, new jersey, new mexico, new york, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, tennessee, texas, washington, and washington, d.c. Yttff cultivates a space where young bipoc and bipoc-ally thinkers, creatives, and activists can engage and share their perspectives, rooted in necessity, passion, and creativity. Their approaches emphasize restoration, recreation, and reclaiming, drawing on indigenous knowledge, intergenerational organizing, and collective mobilization. Frontliners report that waff's support has increased recognition of their work and opened doors to further funding and partnerships. In 2023, waff launched a targeted call for "the creatives"-a new yttff track for youth using art and creative expression to fight systemic injustice. The 2024 class includes frontliners from 19 countries across five continents who are under-30 artivists, collectives, cultural storytellers, creative organizers, heritage keepers, holistic health practitioners, and community leaders reshaping cultural narratives and using creativity to confront injustice. Over two "the creatives" cohorts, yttff has supported 45 creative-led projects in 15 countries on six continents. Yttff supports "the creatives" by: 1. Providing funding and resources for exhibitions, bold movements, and program initiatives that confront systemic inequalities. 2. Cultivating a community of creative organizers and cultural storytellers, fostering solidarity and exchange. 3. Supporting artists and collectives through cross-networking and collaborations with critical thought and social justice partners. Through this evolving program, yttff continues to champion the power of creativity and activism as a force for structural change, cultural preservation, and narrative transformation.

Three dot dash three dot dash, a flagship program of we are family foundation, empowers teenagers who identify urgent problems in their communities and design unique solutions to address them. Each participant is supported through an annual summit where they build skills, connect with exceptional leaders, and collaborate with peers, followed by a yearlong mentorship with an expert in their field. Launched in 2008, the program hosted 11 in-person summits in new york city before pivoting online during the covid-19 pandemic to deliver three virtual summits between 2020 and 2022. In 2024, waff relaunched three dot dash, beginning with expanded outreach and applications that significantly increased the global applicant pool. The 2025 summit, held for the first time outside of the united states in stockholm, sweden, was designed in 2024 with a refreshed curriculum, a diverse roster of speakers, and streamlined application and review systems to improve efficiency and accessibility.

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