The kids are alright: Meet the Youth MPs making philanthropy cool again

By Hope Milo, Youth Press Gallery, Youth Parliament 2025

Photo caption: The Philanthropic Giving PWG in action

Note: Articles in this newsletter edition were produced by the Youth Press Gallery at various stages of the Youth Parliament 2025 programme. Accordingly, the content presented reflects the context and timing at the date of its original writing.

June 14-20 marked Aotearoa New Zealand’s 35th annual National Volunteer Week. But chances are, you didn’t even know it happened.

So why isn’t philanthropy part of the national conversation, especially for young people? And how do we create a culture where volunteering, be it time or money, is simply part of the Kiwi identity?

This year’s Youth Parliament might have an answer. For the first time, the triennial government programme has introduced Parliamentary Working Groups (PWGs), designed to replace the previous Select Committee model. The 123 rangatahi (young people) selected to represent MPs from across the country are now grouped into twelve teams. Each team will address a different real-time policy issue, and one of the teams is focussing on philanthropy.

I spoke with three Youth MPs from the Philanthropic Giving PWG to gather their thoughts on youth involvement – or lack thereof – in this year’s National Volunteer Week.

Phoebe Ashdown, Youth MP for Dunedin and co-chair of the group, believes philanthropy is not only beneficial for those it exists to serve, but also those who do the serving.

“Youth need to get involved with their community, both for the community’s sake and for their own. Being able to say ‘I’m a volunteer’ opens a lot of doors,” she says.

“It puts us back into the world as young adults who can actually care for their communities, and there's strength in numbers. There’s quite a few of us. If we bond together, it won't take very long to make things happen.”

The philanthropic sector plays a vital role in filling gaps left by government services. New Zealand is home to more than 27,000 non-profits, many of them are based in urban areas, where they hold physical offices, volunteer bases, and fundraising events.

But Ashdown points out that the need exists everywhere, even “in the wops.” Hailing from the rural town of Warrington, she says access to clubs, activities, and even transport is limited.

It’s a lack of choice, she says.

“It’s like, ‘Oh no, I can’t commit to that thing. I live 20 kilometres away" or, ‘I live a four-to-five-hour drive away.”, which can make it harder for young people to participate, especially in the winter.

“You can’t just pop into town and do these things. Getting involved with your community, participating in extracurricular activities, are pretty much out of question.”

Inaccessibility only feeds this problem. Without exposure to volunteer networks or philanthropic causes, many rural youth are left out of the giving culture entirely.

“We already have a volunteering network of students who cross over in a lot of these groups,” Ashdown says. “But we forget that people outside that web don’t even know it exists,” she says. “It could be so much bigger.”

Waitaki’s Youth MP Enya O’Donnell agrees, saying schools could play a larger role in encouraging their students to volunteer.

“If there was a school group dedicated to philanthropic giving, it would make it so much easier, and more available for people to realise how easy it is to give anything, not even money, but time, resources.”

The Philanthropic Giving PWG was established as part of a wider push by Youth Parliament to focus on equity and access. With discussions on topics ranging from intergenerational wealth transfer to youth volunteer recognition schemes, they hope to draft recommendations around improving access to volunteering, encouraging small donations, and building a culture of giving in schools and local communities. But, according to Ashdown, “It’s a long game.”

“You can’t just throw money at it and say, ‘be generous,’” she says. “But if we start being smart with our money, start becoming more caring people that know how to look after ourselves and understand the importance of looking after others, then we grow up into those adults who are role models for the next generation.”

For O’Donnell, thinking about the next generation, even while still in high school, is key to building this future. An avid musical theatre fan, she quotes the musical Hamilton when asked about the importance of getting involved.

“It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. It’s about creating a legacy, something that future generations can fall back or build on.”

“I’m not saying it’s the next generation’s responsibility. But at least, once we get the ball rolling, it’ll make it much easier for people in future generations to turn it into something great.”

Down in Upper Hutt, Youth MP Ryan Grant-Derepa echoes this sentiment. He says philanthropy is important for young people to engage with because “it’s about setting a standard and raising the bar.”

“If we look in the past, generation after generation has blamed each other. They’ve said, ‘oh, you caused these problems, and we're going to do nothing to fix it.’ Why does it have to be that way?”

“We need a culture where the right thing for us will be to give back. Not because of what you're going to get out of it, but just because we're human beings and doing the right thing is what we all want to do,” he says.

Ultimately, for Grant-Derepa, philanthropy is “about giving people hope”. This is the one thing, perhaps, that rangatahi need the most.

“At the end of the day, the smallest impacts, like giving a $2 donation to charity, gifting someone a block of chocolate, or even paying it forward, will instantly make someone's day better. It could be something so simple, but if everyone does it, the impact is immeasurable.”

Next week, Ashdown, O’Donnell and Grant-Derepa will travel to Wellington for Youth Parliament 2025. There, they will discuss philanthropic giving with the rest of their PWG, propose questions to government ministers, and deliver speeches in the House on issues that matter most to their communities. For these three, it’s a chance to reimagine the way our country gives, and who we think giving is for.

As Ashdown puts it: “New Zealand is a very kind, caring, giving place. I’m proud to live here and be a part of that. This is just the next step.”