While many foundations design programmes and allocate grants for younger generations, young people can still be left out of governance and decision-making spaces, despite being directly impacted by these processes.

At Philea Forum 2026, we co-hosted the Agorà roundtable on Youth in Governance, bringing together participants for an open conversation on what meaningful youth participation in foundation governance requires. The session created a space to reflect on why this continues to happen and what is needed to move to a more meaningful participation.

Challenges and reflections from the discussion

The conversation highlighted the importance of creating spaces that feel genuinely inclusive – not only physically, but also in terms of language, communication and content. Differences in communication styles and expectations between adults and young people can make collaboration and mutual understanding more difficult.

Another key reflection focused on long-term engagement. Young people often bring creativity and fresh perspectives, but maintaining participation and motivation over time can become challenging within longer institutional processes.

Building stronger intergenerational collaboration

The roundtable explored ideas on how to strengthen collaboration between adults and young people, including:

• Supporting adults and young people to better understand each other and co-create change together
• Encouraging openness towards youth innovation and intergenerational collaboration
• Connecting new ideas with long-term change processes

Creating participation processes that allow young people to contribute consistently and meaningfully remains an important priority for foundations and institutions.