Exploring Photovoice as an Impact Measurement Tool for Underfunded Youth-Led Organizing in the Climate Movement

Youth-led climate organizations play a pivotal role in advancing climate justice, yet they receive disproportionately low funding, with only 0.76% of climate-related grants directed toward their efforts. Traditional impact measurement frameworks, which prioritize quantifiable metrics such as emissions reductions or economic outcomes, fail to capture the advocacy, community engagement, and cultural shifts that define youth-led movements. This study explores photovoice as a participatory method for documenting and communicating the impact of youth climate organizing, particularly for underfunded grassroots organizations. Using a multi-method qualitative research approach, this study engaged youth climate organizers (n=9) through photovoice submissions, followed by focus groups (n=2) and one-on-one interviews (n=2) to analyze how they define, experience, and measure their impact. Findings reveal that youth-led climate organizing fosters creative resistance, social infrastructure, embodied knowledge exchange, and movement legitimacy, yet remains structurally underfunded due to institutional biases in philanthropy. Participants leveraged photovoice to visualize the relational, emotional, and political dimensions of their work, challenging conventional funding models that undervalue grassroots advocacy. This research highlights photovoice’s potential as an alternative impact measurement tool that centers the lived experiences of youth organizers while advocating for more inclusive funding practices. Expanding qualitative and participatory evaluation methods and supports could enable philanthropy and policymakers to better support youth-led movements, ensuring their long-term sustainability and effectiveness in addressing the climate crisis.