2023 End of Year Progress Update -Peace First by Peace First

End of Year Progress Update

2023

Table of Contents 04 06

Charting the Course Introducing Our Impact Roadmap

18 19

Hamza’s Peace First Journey

From Local Roots to an Ecosystem of Global Transformation

Our Why

Where We Work

The Art of Collaboration

08 10

Meet our 2024 Ambassadors

The Power of Partnerships with Natalee Benzing

Harnessing Collective Strength

A Collaborative Revisioning of Peace First’s Offerings and Impact

Dollars and Sense

Building on Pilots to Propel Global Change

Our Board

Sushmina’s Peace First Journey

Appreciating Our Supporters

Our Philosophy for Systemic Change

15 16

30 32

Afsal’s Journey to Deeper Impact

A Year of Growth and Transformation Our Mission

Change Starts Here

W E

THE E G

CREA

A YEAR OF GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION Dear Peace First Community, As we reflect on this remarkable year of transition and growth at Peace First, I am humbled and invigorated by the transformative journey we’ve undertaken alongside the brilliant young changemakers who inspire and inform our every move. I’ve witnessed firsthand the remarkable resilience and creativity of our young changemakers, which continually reinforces my belief in our mission. Our journey, while rich with inspiration, has not been without its challenges. Amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty, war, and strife, our young changemakers have stood firm. Their unwavering commitment to social impact has illuminated a crucial truth: one-off projects are insufficient, and communities demand more to address complex problems. The clarion call for lasting solutions and deeply-rooted connection echoes clearly: empowering and supporting young people in creating lasting social change requires deep community and a supportive environment to strengthen learning, skills, and impact-aligned networks. To empower and embolden young changemakers in pursuit of enduring social change, we’ve charted a new course – one focused on nurturing not just social impact projects but nurturing long-term, interconnected relationships with young leaders, themselves. We aim to provide young changemakers with an enduring network of support for learning, growth, and sustained impact.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

A YEAR OF GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION This year saw significant milestones, such as our 16 impact rooms that brought together nearly 1,000 changemakers in 15 countries, which not only showcased the impact of our collective efforts but also paved the way for our new strategic direction. This transformative shift marks the next step of our commitment to cultivating community – a sanctum where young changemakers’ skills are honed, their voices amplified, and their aspirations nurtured. Your support is not just an investment in our organization; it represents the steadfast belief that young changemakers possess the vision, passion, and determination to create a better world. Together, we equip young changemakers with the tools, skills, and support systems to unite diverse voices, transcend boundaries, and address local challenges and the broader issues that affect us all. As we look forward to the coming year, we invite you to deepen your engagement with Peace First. Whether through mentorship, partnership, or financial support, your contribution is pivotal in realizing the potential of young changemakers.

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each member of the Peace First community. Your support, wisdom, and dedication have been the cornerstone of our success and the catalyst for the remarkable communitydriven journey we embark on each day.

With gratitude and optimism, Isaac Cudjoe CEO

2023 End of Year Progress Update

OUR MISSION Peace First elevates the voices and unleashes the power of young people worldwide to create meaningful change in their communities.

HAMZA’S PEACE FIRST JOURNEY Activation Grant Recipient

Learning with Peace First

My community was struggling and so was I, but Peace First was there to help. With their support my team and I launched a local bootcamp for Civil Society Organizations to upgrade their approaches, and amplify their effectiveness.

It all started in Asilah, a beautiful small city in Morocco, where I participated in a capacity building bootcamp called Greenpreneurs organized by Peace First and Atlas for Development. There I learned all about addressing social injustices, and found Peace First mentors who became my constant source of guidance and support. With newfound skills and a grant from Peace First, I returned to Tetaouen, my hometown, launching my community initiative.

EMY Africa Award Winner This year, Peace First nominated me for the prestigious EMY Africa award, where I proudly won first place. It was a great achievement that validated the groundbreaking work my team and I have been doing!

Peace First Ambassador Today, I join Peace First as an ambassador where I embark on a path of growth and empowerment, continuing to upscale my changemaking skills.

Hamza Haki El Kharroubi 2024 Peace First Ambassador Region: Morrocco

2023 End of Year Progress Update

OUR WHY We champion the untapped potential within young people aged 16-30 as architects of systemic change and creators of new horizons. Driven, eager, and capable of addressing the challenges within their communities, many young people are poised to catalyze enduring social impact. Yet, their journey is often hindered by persistent barriers to accessing the supportive ecosystems they need to ensure their transformative potential.

Peace First dismantles these barriers and empowers every young changemaker to unleash their potential through: Access to Youth-Led Incubators

Access to Stimulating Learning Environments

Expanded Networking Opportunities

Empowering Education on Social Change Awareness

Availability of Localized Resources

2023 End of Year Progress Update

: g n i y t a s a n h o w s r e e in p v a e i e l k e i l b s I i t nd s r i ,a F . o e u d c o a ty o t e P us nt r a t I uw yo - CAMILA TRINANES, FORMER PEACE FIRST AMBASSADOR TO PERU

THE ART OF COLLABORATION Changemaking is a collaborative art. Peace First grounds our impact in four core pillars: Peer-to-Peer learning

Youth-Centered Approach

Inclusive Community Building

Localized and Customizable Solutions

We cultivate an environment that encourages changemakers to learn from each other's experiences, ideas, and perspectives, and inspires innovative approaches to social challenges.

We prioritize young changemakers' needs, interests, and perspectives, enabling them to spearhead and craft solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems.

Our offerings are designed to be widely accessible, engaging untapped, marginalized, and diverse communities. By fostering connections, we encourage youth to forge meaningful relationships and collaborate in creating sustainable change.

Our offerings are adaptable, allowing for customization based on specific issues, themes, and local contexts. This flexibility enables participants to explore solutions and strategies relevant to their communities, resulting in tangible and preciselytargeted outcomes.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

The Power of Partnerships with Natalee Benzing Many nonprofits are founded by go-getters with good intentions who believe their organization can single-handedly change the world. However, this mindset is unrealistic. The organizations that have the greatest impact are those that can identify and enhance their unique skill sets, then partner with others whose expertise complements their own. Peace First is a really great example of this. Ambassadors are taught early on what the organization is, and what it is not. By explicitly defining their values and remaining grounded in them at all times, the Peace First team is better able to target and scale impact. They recognize the power of partnership both locally, as an America’s Promise Alliance member, and globally, with Ambassadors and other youth participants from 166 countries around the world. This collaborative, community-driven approach gives young people cross-sector, multi-generational support and provides them with resources they need to be successful in pursuing social change. Natalee Benzing, 2024 Peace First Ambassador Region: USA

2023 End of Year Progress Update

A Collaborative Revisioning of Peace First’s Offerings and Impact As we proudly unveil the newest iteration of our changemaker offerings, we are eager to illuminate the extensive research, insight, and vision that our collective community infused into this endeavor. Over six months, our team conducted a comprehensive root cause analysis to pinpoint the hurdles that young changemakers face and create solutions for how to best support them along their changemaking journey. Many generous individuals and groups offered their invaluable time, expertise, and resources to this process – from informal interviews to roundtable discussions to critical financial investments.

We are truly grateful for YOUR contributions in steering our commitment to nurturing and amplifying positive change at a global scale through young changemakers.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Building on Pilots to Propel Global Change From Pilot to Scale In 2023, Peace First piloted the foundations of our evolved strategic direction by:

Diving into Root Cause Analysis

Conducting a comprehensive root cause analysis to redesign, update, and relaunch our program offerings

Piloting Impact Trainings

Developing, piloting, and launching the Impact Training model to support hundreds of early-stage changemakers around the world by providing resources, knowledge, and mentorship as they launch their social impact projects

Supporting Youth-Led Projects

Providing direct financial support to 60+ youth-led social impact projects in 15+ different countries

Digital Marketing Annual Report 2023 End of Year Progress Update

Building on Pilots to Propel Global Change Looking Ahead By June 30, 2024, Peace First is poised to fortify our depth of impact, establishing a continuous cycle of intensified, relationship-driven engagement with changemakers.

Ambassadors

Welcoming and training our newest cohort of 26 Ambassadors who are teaching and equipping other changemakers across the globe.

Impact Trainings Hosting 12+ Impact Trainings reaching 300+ young changemakers.

Activation Grants

Allocating over $30,000 in Activation Grants to empower impactful projects.

Learning Symposium Launching a Global Impact and Learning Symposium for changemakers to convene, learn, and fuel systems-wide impact.

Hackathons:

Facilitating 5 Hackathons, launching 50+ projects focused on core UN Sustainable Development Goals:

2023 End of Year Progress Update

SUSHMINA’S PEACE FIRST JOURNEY The Peace First Domino Effect After running a project with Peace First, I realized that I felt the happiest when young people were exercising their agency, without having to hold any prejudices. Driven by this realization, I collaborated with 20 young people, directly linking them to Peace First. This initiative enabled them to kickstart their own projects, embarking on their transformative journey as changemakers, just as I had done with Peace First.

Activation Grant Recipient

Peace First Support System

In 2018, my journey with Peace First began, marking the journey of a profound learning experience. I joined the Peace First challenge and received a grant to run a workshop on good governance using sports and games in a Southern Region of Nepal. Beyond just the grant, I was able to easily access mentoring opportunities that were tailored to my project. Speaking to my mentor made me feel heard and seen, and for the first time, I felt like my voice had a purpose.

Sharing my vulnerabilities with my Peace First mentor provided a chance to talk about what it means to be in the space of changemaking and the resilience it takes to pursue working on something you believe in.

Sushmina Baidya Global Program Manager, Project Activation

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Peace First Global Project Manager Today I am working as a Global Program Manager at Peace First supporting young people globally in initiating their projects while providing mentoring opportunities. When I look back at my journey with Peace First, I feel an immense level of gratitude for how far I have come.

Our Philosophy for Systemic Change With innovative programs that nurture young changemakers by fostering collaboration and building global networks of young changemakers and their allies, we are strategically advancing an ethos of impact that propels transformative, systems-wide change. By shifting our approach from focusing on one-off projects to relationship-oriented changemaker networks and their sustainable solutions for our world’s most challenging issues, Peace First is transcending boundaries and shaping a better world for all.

AFSAL’S JOURNEY TO DEEPER IMPACT Paying it Forward My journey with Peace First led me to create “ The Social Captains”, a youthled non-profit organization driven by a shared vision: a world where young people actively engage within their communities. We are on a mission to reimagine volunteerism by engaging, empowering, and encouraging young people to address the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Learning with Peace First

Leading With Peace First

Upon being introduced to the step-bystep phases, learning modules, and mentoring offered by Peace First, I was filled with excitement. I realized that these empowerment sessions could serve as an excellent way to motivate youth while actively engaging them in the community. Inspired by this insight, I developed The Social Hackathons, a program designed to mentor youth on crafting initiatives and strategies for community engagement.

Prior to becoming a grantee of Peace First, I hadn't participated in any formal sessions. For the first time in my volunteering journey, inspired by the insights gained from Peace First, I took the initiative to design and facilitate an Impact training session. This experience was transformative, leading me to discover a hidden skill set in facilitation Peaceand First Ambassador mentoring.

Afsal Mohammed B 2024 Peace First Ambassador Region: India

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Peace First Ambassador Today, I continue my journey with Peace First as an ambassador where I embark on a path of growth and empowerment, continuing to upscale my changemaking skills.

Charting the Course In addition to diving deep into our understanding of what supports young changemakers need to activate localized projects, in 2023 Peace First also reevaluated how we assess and measure our global impact. The cumulative result is an enhanced impact framework, integrating a thorough evaluation system that balances quantitative metrics with the qualitative dimensions of positive change ignited and driven by young leaders.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Introducing Our Impact Roadmap We inspire localized change and connect changemakers to resources and each other for systemic impact. 13,000 impact projects initiated

1 Learn

30,000 young people supported

Launch ...by empowering and stimulating changemakers’ passion and ideas into actionable plans, Peace First helps bring their social impact projects to life and transform their visions into reality.

2 Learn

...by educating and equipping young changemakers with the knowledge, tools, and mindset necessary to understand social change dynamics and their role as catalysts for transformation.

...by cultivating leadership skills and a lifelong trajectory of changemaking for proven social impact leaders via our Ambassador program.

1,000,000 hours of mentorship and learning provided

Activate

...by providing resources to fuel social impact projects and local community initiatives, translating ideas into tangible projects.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Lead

Inspire

1,500+ grants distributed

...by creating a ripple effect. Through our Ambassador programs, storytelling efforts, and learning symposiums, we nurture a community of leaders who actively inspire, mentor, and coach other emerging changemakers.

500,000+ people inspired

From Local Roots to an Ecosystem of Global Transformation Our new Impact Framework assesses the ripple effects of projects on wider communities, evaluating the development of critical skills among participants, and capturing the compelling stories that showcase the transformative journeys of young changemakers. AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IMPACT TRAINING

Community Impact

Systemic Impact

HACKATHONS

ACTIVATION GRANTS

LEARNING SYMPOSIUM

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Community Impact Impact Trainings

Activation Grants

Our introductory Impact Trainings open up the world of changemaking and fuels young minds with the knowledge and mindset needed to drive social change, instilling the confidence to embrace their role as catalysts for transformation.

Peace First ignites young changemakers’ visions toward reality with the capital to implement local community initiatives. We are also doubling down on impact, providing repeat rounds of funding to projects with strong evidence of impact, and ensuring transformation from one-off, isolated experiences to sustainable impact.

Systemic Impact Hackathons

Ambassador Program

During a three-day intensive hackathon, young changemakers propel their social impact projects from ideation to realization. Participants delve into understanding the roots of injustices, crafting actionable solutions, and networking with peers and experts, unlocking avenues for fueling systemic change in communities worldwide.

In our immersive six-month train-the-trainer program, young social change leaders go beyond individual impact to actively inspire, train, and coach other emerging changemakers. Through their mentorship efforts and continuing education, Ambassadors cultivate a dedicated, long-term commitment to driving sustainable, systemic change within themselves and others.

Participants align their work with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Learning Symposium

2023 End of Year Progress Update

What if local social impact inspired global conversations and collaboration? Launching in 2024, the Peace First Symposium will amplify proven solutions and best practices, serving as a nexus for collaborative learning, networking, and relationship-building among young changemakers worldwide.

1,210

621

projects

1,699 projects

4,008 projects

2215 projects

89 projects

Where We Work At Peace First, every changemaker, donor, and partner becomes an integral part of a vibrant global movement dedicated to sustainable change. Our diverse community unites individuals from 166 countries worldwide, fostering collaboration and amplifying impact on a global scale.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

USA and Canada Latin America United Kingdom and Europe Sub-Saharan Africa Middle East and North Africa Asia and Oceania

Meet our 2024 Ambassadors

Building a Global Network of Changemakers

We are proud to introduce our 2024 cohort of Peace First Ambassadors. From a pool of over 400 highly qualified applicants, we selected 26 exceptional changemakers from 15 different countries. The Peace First Ambassador Program focuses on the longterm development of young changemakers. Just as one-off projects are insufficient in addressing complex problems, singular engagements for young changemakers are only the beginning. To nurture the power of young leadership, we must invest in their continued growth through: Personalized professional development plans focused on each Ambassador’s changemaking journey and leadership growth Dedicated Learning track for all Ambassadors to deepen their changemaking leadership skills to drive positive and sustainable social impact connected to systemic change Certification track for Ambassadors who want to develop further through practice-based learning and inspire and lead other emerging changemakers Lifetime bonds forged with the brightest global innovators and changemakers

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Harnessing Collective Strength What if more corporations, brands, and missiondriven organizations held the transformative capacity and vision of young people at the core of their work? At Peace First, our commitment to nurturing young changemakers extends beyond our investment in individual changemakers. Consulting and collaborating with corporations, brands, and other nonprofits, Peace First helps amplify the leadership, voice, and potential of early-stage changemakers within their networks. In this year of growth and transformation, Peace First has expanded our network of partner organizations so that our collective strength can better empower our young changemakers and provide them with enduring support.

JOIN US!

If you or an organization you know of would like to partner with Peace First, please reach out to bansari@peacefirst.org

2023 End of Year Progress Update

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2023 End of Year Progress Update

Harnessing Collective Strength Jr. NBA x Peace First Peace First established a groundbreaking partnership with the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders. Through this partnership, promising young athletes in the NBA pipeline honed their skills in changemaking through a series of Impact Trainings, positioning themselves to become effective leaders and changemakers throughout their basketball careers.

At a recent Jr. NBA Impact Training, 100% of participants reported feeling more confident in their leadership and changemaking abilities after working with Peace First.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

The Court of Leaders gained inspiration, acquired realworld knowledge, received mentorship and peer-to-peer coaching, and developed a lasting community of likeminded changemakers. This partnership, which has been nearly a year in the making, is a testament to our commitment to fostering youth empowerment on a global scale. It not only enhances our programs but also serves as a template for engaging other organizations as fee-for-service partners. Moreover, this partnership significantly strengthens our brand, putting a widely recognizable stamp of approval on Peace First's innovative and impactful initiatives.

Harnessing Collective Strength EMY Africa x Peace First Peace First and EMY Africa jointly forged a path honoring the relentless sprint of young African trailblazers through the inaugural Youth Changemaker Award. This prestigious recognition celebrates the fervor and dynamism of young African visionaries shaping the future with their innovative solutions and remarkable initiatives. The award stands as a beacon of hope, acknowledging and propelling youth committed to fostering positive change and lasting impact within their communities, the continent, and the globe. We nominated 7 incredible young leaders and, through a process of online voting, Hamza Haki El Kharroubi was honored with this new award, embodying the transformative power of African changemakers.

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Dollars and Sense As we reflect on the close of fiscal year 2023, at Peace First, we're not just celebrating a robust financial closing; we're rejoicing in the

In Fiscal Year 2023 WE RAISED WE SPENT

$1,430,938 $1,351,995

power of community and changemaking. Our journey last year involved thoughtful

Program Services

77%

investments, adapting our offerings to meet the pressing needs of our global community, and managing finances wisely. This strong

Fundraising

13%

General Administration

10%

financial foundation is not just a number; it's the heartbeat of our commitment to amplifying our mission and creating a lasting, positive impact in the years ahead. To view our 990s and audited financial statements for FY23 and previous fiscal years, please visit www.PeaceFirst.org/Financials

2023 End of Year Progress Update

OUR BOARD

Jonathan Mandle Corrum Capital Management, Board Co-Chair

Jasmine Babers Sr. Creative Strategist, Day One Agency, Board Co-Chair

Andrae Allen Managing Director, BlackRock’s Aladdin Product Group

Dana O’Donovan, Managing Director, Monitor Institute by Deloitte

Hammed Kayode Alabi Founder and CEO, Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative

Howard Taylor Executive Director, The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children

Lavinya Stennett CEO and Founder, The Black Curriculum

Melanie Habwe Co-Chair of The Black Professionals Network for the Americas, BlackRock

Mohammad Sammour Co-Founder MedeArts, Social Entrepreneur

Saumya Aggarwal CEO and Co-Founder, Youth for Peace International

Winter BreeAnne Minisee Social Impact Architect

2023 End of Year Progress Update

A. Erin Ruane Board Executive

Appreciating our Supporters Peace First would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported our work this year. Thank you for believing in our young changemakers and for investing in a brighter, more compassionate future!

Changemaking Sustainers

Changemaking Sustainers are the bedrock of our support, driving lasting impact through their sustained investments in nurturing the growth and development of our powerful young changemakers. Andrae Allen John Andjaba Anousheh Ansari Jasmine Babers Dillon Bernard Manisha Bharti Annabelle Brenes Crissy Canlas Yin-Ting Chen Mary Clark R. Isaac Cudjoe Eric Dawson & Tammy Tai Alexander D. Eric D. Kenneth D. Aime Ferdinand Deanna Froeber Germeshausen Foundation Bill Graustein & TThe W.C. Graustein Memorial Fund

Lisa G. Melanie Habwe Casey Hagen Chris Hancock Xochilt Hernandez-Leiva Amos Izerimana Toi James Bobby Jones Megan Keeliher Mike Kelly Azucena Leiva Leung Tsai Family Fund Claire Loxsom Catherine Lugar Jonathan & Stephanie Mandle Chase McConnell Richard A Mills Khoi Nguyen Alexander Nunno Dana O'Donovan

Seun Olagunju Olatomiwa Olusesi Kylee Patton Anne Peretz The Shippy Foundation Taylor Pinkis Michael Riesenberg Christian Roatta Sergio Ruiz Rodriguez Mohammad Sammour Herman Sanchez Jenna Schneider Christopher Scoular Rebecca Shimshak W.J. Silverstein Family Trust Fish Stark The Pete Stark Foundation Lavinya Sennett Charles Van-Hein Sackey Joseph Wenger

Special thanks to all of our generous donors who wish to remain anonymous

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Changemaking Champions

Changemaking Champions stand as pillars in our cause, amplifying our impact through a personally significant contribution, adding fuel to the momentum of our mission Lawrence Bacow The Suzanne B Sands/Barmore Fund Bergenwolf Corporation Shawn Bohen The Boston Foundation BlackRock Andrew Bustle Peter Cahn & Donald Hess Paula Camino Victoria Capeci Alex & Tom Chan Christina & Jason Chang Diyu Chen Karen and Dick Dawson Anthony Donato Alyssa & Dave Earley Echoing Green J Egner Living Trust Zack Fey Adrianne Fleming Mark M Giese Dilani Goonewardene Marc Gottschalk

Ryan Gunn Rosalie Harris Schwartz Heller Family Fund Carlos Hernandez Sebastian Hernandez Robert & Carla Horwitz Heather Hussein Hammed Kayode Alabi Titus Jjuuko Ibukun-oluwa Kemiki Matthew Kostman Terri Knuth Emma Leonard Sarah Leonard Anne-Marie Logrippo Cleophas Loyd Roger Manzanarez Gaelle Matar Angela Methot Jeffrey Melvoin Joseph Mutebi Crystal Ndungu Nathan & Jennifer Ndungu

2023 End of Year Progress Update

Hannah Yoo K & K Nguyen Joann Yung Riahl O'Malley Nick Zaremba Dante Pilgrim Meredith Quinn Scott Rechler Kimberly Ricks Kelly Rosstrom Prince Sarkodie Kristin Sherwood Steven Shimshak Esther Soboh Skoll Foundation Sneha Singhania Jalakoi Solomon Anil Soni Dr. Ronald & Susan Stangebye Tabatha Thompson The Tow Foundation Damaris Waiyaki Marty Wall Tex Wambui Special thanks to all of Richard Weissbourd our generous donors who wish to remain Louise White anonymous

Change Starts Here Your support fuels the transformational journeys of young changemakers worldwide. Together, we're forging a brighter tomorrow where their visions shape a brighter reality. Every contribution empowers young voices and sparks lasting change. Let's amplify their power and create a world of boundless possibilities.

Make an impact www.peacefirst.org/donate donate@peacefirst.org