About YPLF

Youth have always been catalysts for bold ideas and transformative movements.

YPLF invests in leadership and educational opportunities, ensuring youth have the tools, resources, and support to continue pushing boundaries and creating lasting impact.

Disrupting Barriers, Transforming Futures

At the Young People’s Leadership Foundation (YPLF), education is seen as more than just a pathway to opportunity—it's a powerful tool for personal and social transformation. By actively working to dismantle the systemic barriers that have long prevented promising young minds from reaching their full potential, YPLF challenges the status quo. The mission goes beyond scholarships and funding; it is part of a larger movement to make space for more equitable power structures.

Throughout history, young people have driven social change and shaped the future. From civil rights to climate action, youth have always been catalysts for bold ideas and transformative movements. Recognizing this power, YPLF invests in their leadership, ensuring they have the tools, resources, and support to continue pushing boundaries and creating lasting impact.

Education is understood as both a process and an institution that shapes lives and communities in profound ways. By working alongside those most affected, YPLF centers the voices, experiences, and wisdom of communities is seeks to reach. Their insights are indispensable in designing solutions that create meaningful, lasting change.

Deconstructing outdated and exclusionary frameworks and fostering environments where all students—regardless of background—have the support needed to thrive is a key focus. This work aims to inspire a collective commitment to eliminating the root causes of injustice. Our work is not just about the present; it’s about shaping a future where every young person has the power to influence and guide others toward a more just and inclusive society.

Who We Are

The Young People’s Leadership Foundation is an all-volunteer, mission-driven organization committed to advancing social justice and equity in education. YPLF provides financial assistance to individuals and organizations that align with its core values of leadership, empowerment, and holistic education. YPLF’s support extends to students from historically disenfranchised groups, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and justice-impacted individuals. By fostering partnerships with community organizations and institutions, YPLF works to eliminate the structural inequities that restrict access to opportunity, fostering environments where all individuals, regardless of their background, can thrive.

YPLF’s investments are carefully screened to conform with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing standards, ensuring responsible and impactful giving. YPLF’s work is rooted in a commitment to social justice, funding programs that promote holistic education, leadership development, and personal empowerment.

History

Since 1975, YPLF has been dedicated to unlocking educational opportunities for young individuals with strong potential. For 50 years, YPLF has supported students from underrepresented and underserved communities through scholarships, grants, and funding for educational programs. Founded by Henry O. Dormann, who grew up during the Great Depression with extremely limited access to opportunities, YPLF was shaped by his vision for leadership and empowerment. His own experiences fueled a deep commitment to opening doors for others, particularly young people who, like him, were denied the opportunities they deserved. Today, YPLF continues to build on its founder's legacy of fostering the leaders of tomorrow through strategic investments in education, leadership development, and efforts to dismantle systemic barriers that prevent marginalized communities from fully realizing their potential.