Power Shift Network is a national network of youth-led organizations and activists working to build the youth clean energy and climate movement in the United States. Power Shift Network builds independent civic power by supporting young climate justice organizers and leaders across the country, with plans to continue their growth and expand their impact through sustainable funding models.
With a grant from Progressive Multiplier, Power Shift Network developed a giving circle model to build a major donor program and establish a foundation for financial sustainability.
By designing a comprehensive approach that leveraged connections with members of Resource Generation and tested peer-to-peer fundraising strategies, Power Shift Network built a foundation for financial independence while strengthening their movement-building capacity. The project transformed their approach to fundraising and created pathways for deeper community engagement with donors who share their values.
Power Shift Network's giving circle initiative consisted of several integrated components designed to diversify revenue while engaging supporters committed to climate justice:
Leverage Strong Facilitation and Community Building Skills
Power Shift Network's organizing and facilitation foundation made their giving circles successful, enabling them to hold space for donors ranging from those new to climate justice to professional organizers. Training specifically around political education proved essential for creating spaces where donors at different levels of understanding could find value.
Invest in Political Education for Donors
Providing major donors with education about climate justice, false solutions like carbon capture technology, and the role of wealth in social change proved essential for building authentic engagement. This political education distinguished Power Shift Network's approach and equipped donors to be more sophisticated funders of climate organizing.
Test Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Capacity Early
Understanding how much money can be leveraged through community-based fundraising approaches requires experimentation. Power Shift Network's giving circle model successfully demonstrated that peer-to-peer fundraising could generate significant resources while building donor community.
Plan for Long-Term Donor Engagement from the Start
Having a clear vision for what happens after the initial giving circle—how to maintain relationships, continue bringing donors into the work, and integrate donor organizing into programmatic work—is critical for sustainability. Power Shift Network recognized this need partway through and is now building those systems.
Balance Staff-Led and Donor-Led Fundraising
Finding the right balance between staff responsibilities and donor organizer responsibilities required developing new practices and capacity. Organizations need to build infrastructure to support donors who want to fundraise themselves, not just receive staff-led solicitations.
Adapt to Virtual Fatigue and Prioritize In-Person Connection
When recruiting for a second giving circle in the fall, it became clear that supporters were experiencing Zoom fatigue. Geographically-based giving circles that can build more localized community connections offer a promising path forward for replication.
Evaluate Replication Potential Throughout the Project
Continuously assess whether the giving circle model can be replicated to fund larger pieces of organizational operations. Power Shift Network's success in raising 20% of their income from individual donors—with projections of $2 million annually within five years—demonstrates the scalability of this approach.
Through this experiment, Power Shift Network created valuable spaces for young people with wealth to connect with climate justice organizing while generating critical financial support. Their approach, which incorporated deep political education about climate justice and false solutions, resonated with donors who were seeking authentic ways to use their resources for social change.
The giving circle model not only raised funds but also created a community of donors who understood the intersection of wealth, power, and climate justice. By providing education on topics like carbon capture technology and how it functions as a distraction from real climate solutions, Power Shift Network equipped donors to be more sophisticated funders of climate organizing.
Originally motivated by the need to build sustainable revenue streams that could support both Power Shift Network's operations and their broader ecosystem of member organizations, the project successfully demonstrated that peer-to-peer fundraising and giving circles could generate significant resources. The relationships built through this work created a foundation for ongoing major donor engagement, with plans to expand through geographically-based giving circles that can build more localized community connections.
Most significantly, the project established that individual donors could become not just funders but active participants in movement building. Power Shift Network is now exploring how to integrate donor organizing into their network weaving and programmatic work, creating pathways for donors to support member organizations and help grow the overall ecosystem of youth climate organizing.