named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Climate Justice
Strengthens youth civil society and supports intergenerational responses to climate change by empowering young people as leaders in sustainability and environmental justice
Education & Livelihoods
Works to ensure young people have access to education and economic opportunities, including skills development and employment pathways
Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights
Supports young people's leadership in advancing sexual and reproductive health rights through community engagement and advocacy
Voice & Democracy
Supports young people to become active citizens, influence social and political structures, and advocate for change with evidence-based solutions
Youth-Led Accountability
Supports young people to lead accountability processes, strengthen youth-led accountability spaces, and generate evidence on best practices through initiatives like the Global Consensus on Youth-Led Accountability
activities · 4 groups
What they do
-
Youth Leadership Development Programs 2 activities
- Building youth leadership and capacityTrains, mentors, and nurtures young leaders globally through leadership challenges, volunteering, employment, and project opportunities; has engaged over 10 million young leaders since inception and supported 250,000 with leadership development. Strengthens youth civil society by supporting a network of over 5,000 youth-led organizations across 185 countries.
- Implementing youth-led development programsDelivers youth-led programs in nine country hubs and globally, reaching over 10 million young people since inception. Programs include field implementation and quality assurance in Delhi, Tanzania, and other regions, focusing on community-led change, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), financial inclusion, and emergency response.
-
-
Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 1 activity
- Advocating for youth-led accountability and policy changeAdvances youth-led accountability through annual reporting to Accountable Now, publishing accountability reports, and launching the Global Consensus on Youth-Led Accountability with over 35 civil society organizations. Uses youth-collected data to inform policy recommendations and participates in consortiums to promote Feminist Foreign Policies in Europe.
-
-
Youth and Community Research Initiatives 1 activity
- Conducting youth-led researchLeads and publishes global, youth-led research on issues including climate justice, agricultural technology adoption, artificial intelligence, and feminist movements. Engages young people as partner researchers to ensure relevance and accuracy, and produces annual publications on the state of youth civil society.
-
-
Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Funding youth-led initiatives and organizationsProvides direct financial support to youth organizations and groups to advance youth-led development, including through the £4.5 million Young Gamechangers Fund and a collective giving circle that supports young changemakers in over 185 countries working on women's rights, climate justice, education, and social justice.
-
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$81K
Contributions & grants$83K103%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$-2K
expenses
Total expenses$103K
Program expenses62%
Admin / overhead35%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$70K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$21K
Cash$21K
Investments$0
Liabilities$16K
Net assets$4K
Liquid reserves2.4 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -55.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
board members · 8
- AAYUSH GORADIA — BOARD MEMBER
- ALEX KENT — EX-OFFICIO
- AMINA RAZVI — BOARD MEMBER
- BARBARA SPITZER — PRESIDENT &
- COLIN KIM — BOARD MEMBER
- LANRE OGUNGBE — BOARD MEMBER
- SCOTT WARREN — BOARD MEMBER
- TIFFANY AGARD — SECRETARY
relationships · 36
Who they work with
- Accountable Now Network — Member of Accountable Now, a cross-sector platform for civil society organizations, and submits annual accountability reports for independent review.
- Action Aid Tanzania Partner — Deus Msipotwa, Chair of the Tanzania Board of Restless Development, also serves as a Board Member for Action Aid Tanzania.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts Partner — Aayush Goradia serves on the Young Professionals Group of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, indicating a professional affiliation and collaborative engagement.
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Funder — Funded the Youth Led Accountability for Gender Equality programme in India and Tanzania.
- Christian Aid Partner — Jenny Wilson, Chair of the Global Board, previously worked at Christian Aid on campaign delivery and global communications.
- ComDev Africa Partner — Co-implementing partner in the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab consortium.
- European Union Partner — Collaborates on advancing feminist foreign policies across the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the European Union.
- India Government — Supports young people in India to lead on gender equality, livelihoods, girls' education, and digital literacy.
- International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Government — Platform where Restless Development launched the Global Consensus Statement on Youth-Led Accountability.
- Nepal Government — Supports young people in Nepal to access sexual education, claim rights, and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
- Oxfam Partner — Co-implementing partner in the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab consortium.
- Oxfam Partner — Miriam Samuel, Chair of the India Board, has been a Committee Member of ‘Starting Community College’ in Oxfam School Premise.
- Raleigh International Partner — Jenny Wilson, Chair of the Global Board, volunteered with Raleigh International in Nicaragua.
- Restless Development Network — Locally led, globally connected network advancing youth power
- Restless Development India Partner — Implements youth-led programs in Delhi with field coordination and quality assurance.
- Restless Development Sierra Leone Partner — Collaborates on leadership and operational support for Sierra Leone Hub.
- Restless Development Tanzania Partner — Engages board members to strengthen governance and advance youth-led development.
- Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Foundation Partner — Deus Msipotwa, Chair of the Tanzania Board of Restless Development, also serves as a Board Member for Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Foundation.
- Search for Common Ground Partner — Co-implementing partner in the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab consortium.
- Sierra Leone Government — Supports young volunteers in Sierra Leone to lead on accountability, gender equality, and health improvement in communities.
- Tanzania Government — Works in Tanzania for youth-led development, enabling young people to claim sexual rights and make their voices heard.
- The Climate Coalition Partner — Jenny Wilson, Chair of the Global Board, previously worked at The Climate Coalition on campaign delivery and global communications.
- UK Government — Operates in the UK to support young people in campaigning, volunteering, fundraising, and holding leaders accountable.
- USA Government — Works in the USA to connect young leaders with development partners, funders, and global policymakers.
- Uganda Government — Supports young people in Uganda to change their lives and communities through decent livelihoods and gender equality.
- United Nations World Food Programme Government — Jenny Wilson, Chair of the Global Board of Restless Development, is a Communications Officer for the United Nations World Food Programme.
- Walking the Talk consortium Partner — Collaborates with a consortium of four organizations across the UK and EU to advance Feminist Foreign Policies and gender equality.
- We Are Restless Network — Platform for young contributors and writers affiliated with Restless Development.
- Westminster Foundation for Democracy Partner — Joseph Munyangabo serves as Country Representative for Uganda at Westminster Foundation for Democracy, and also chairs the Uganda Board of Restless Development.
- Workville Government — Hosts the US office of Restless Development USA at its New York City location.
+ 6 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Co-Creation and Power-Shifting to Amplify Youth Agencymethodology: co_creationBy shifting power and resources directly to young people and co-creating solutions through peer networks and partnerships, we generate more inclusive and participatory systems, because trusting youth with decision-making and funding leads to more effective and contextually relevant outcomes.
- Decolonising Development Through Inclusive, Feminist Frameworksmethodology: decolonising_developmentBy applying feminist, gender-transformative, anti-racist, and inclusive frameworks, we dismantle systemic barriers in global development, because traditional models have historically excluded marginalized voices and reinforced power imbalances that undermine sustainability and justice.
- Dynamic and Youth-Led Accountability for Systemic Changemethodology: dynamic_accountabilityBy empowering young people with data, skills, networks, and access to policy processes, we strengthen accountability to sustainable development commitments, because two-way feedback and youth-led oversight create more transparent, responsive, and legitimate systems.
- Youth-Led Development as Primary Mechanism for Changemethodology: youth_led_developmentBy centering young people as leaders and decision-makers in development initiatives, we produce more effective and sustainable solutions to global challenges, because young people hold unique insights and agency to drive change in their communities.
- Youth-Led Research to Shift Power in Knowledge Productionmethodology: youth_led_researchBy using a structured 6-step youth-led research methodology, we produce more relevant and actionable knowledge, because young people are recognized as experts in their own experiences and should lead the research cycle from design to dissemination.