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Youth Advisory Group Reflections - More than a seat at the table
In June 2022, VFFF launched its inaugural Youth Advisory Group (YAG) to embed youth voice in its grantmaking and ensure young people play a genuine role in shaping decisions under our Backing Young People strategy. Now, as the second iteration of the YAG approaches the end of its two-year term, we have been reflecting on what this commitment to youth voice has enabled.
Elise Lane has been with the YAG for two terms and VFFF is grateful for her contribution to the Backing the Future (BTF) decision-making process.
In what feels like a natural next step, Elise will be applying her learnings from BTF and taking her extensive youth impact sector experience into FRRR’s Next Gen Blueprint program. In the reflection below, she shares her personal learnings, insights and experiences of contributing to a group where youth voice is not symbolic, but trusted, valued and embedded in practice.
Elise's Reflection
As my time with the VFFF Youth Advisory Group (YAG) comes to an end, I have been sitting with a lot of feelings. Gratitude, pride, a little sadness, and a quiet sense of reflection about how much this experience has shaped me. When I first joined the YAG it was because a mentor encouraged me to try something that would give me a deeper understanding of decision making and governance. I went in thinking it would be a valuable professional opportunity. I didn’t expect to learn so much. I didn’t expect to grow so much. And I certainly did not expect to feel this attached to a group of people I meet with only a handful of times each year. I didn’t realise it would become something I would carry with me in such a personal way.
Being part of the YAG has always been more than reading applications and refining a shortlist, even though that part is incredibly meaningful in itself. There is something really special about reading applications and watching videos from people doing extraordinary work in their communities, and feeling that spark.
That sense of yes, this matters. And then having the opportunity to bring that feeling into the room when we meet as a group, to talk about who we are backing and why, to understand what others noticed in the same application, and to find the shortlist together. It is a process that sounds procedural from the outside, but when you are in it, it feels like being part of something with genuine heart. I’d leave our meetings with my cup full, feeling energised and grounded, and with a renewed sense of motivation and fire in my belly. I always left inspired and grateful.
One of the things I value most is that youth voice within YAG is not symbolic or politely acknowledged. It is embedded. We hold real responsibility in shaping what goes to the Grants Committee, and the Committee genuinely engages with our work. They ask questions, they want to understand our thinking, and they value what we bring. It is rare to be in a space where young people are not only invited to the table, but are actually empowered at it. I have always understood the importance of that, but this experience has strengthened it for me in a very real way. It has reaffirmed how powerful thoughtful, supported youth involvement can be. I look forward to a future where young people are not only empowered at the table, but increasingly shaping what the table looks like in the first place.
The group itself has been one of the greatest gifts. YAG is a safe and expansive space where you can bring your perspective and have it challenged in ways that help you grow rather than shrink. Everyone interprets the world differently, and there is something beautiful about experiencing those differences respectfully and collectively. The experience has solidified my ability to listen, to hold complexity, and to consider interpretations beyond my own. I have watched people evolve across both cohorts I have been part of (myself included!), and it has been powerful to witness. The YAG members have inspired me, stretched me, and taught me in ways I will carry long after my term ends.
Another unexpected gift has been the exposure to philanthropy. Before joining YAG, my connection to philanthropy had mostly been through organisations that received funding. I had not been part of the process behind the scenes. Through YAG, we were offered opportunities to attend sessions and conversations with people across philanthropy and social impact who were generous with their time and insights. Hearing from them broadened my understanding of what this work can look like, and many of their ideas have stayed with me. It made philanthropy feel accessible and deeply human. It paved the path toward the work I do now.
The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation has been a huge part of this. Their commitment to YAG members is obvious. They welcome you warmly, champion your development, and create opportunities that expand your horizons. You feel supported and invested in, not just as a YAG member, but as a person.
As I wrap up my final term, I realise how much I am taking with me. Connections that have grown into friendships. Skills that feel grounded and confident. Moments where something clicked in the room and shifted my thinking. Inspiration from both the changemakers we support and the people I have had the privilege to sit alongside. And above all, a strengthened belief in the power and potential of young people when they are trusted, respected, and given real responsibility.
This experience has been genuinely valuable in a way that is difficult to summarise neatly. It has shaped me professionally, absolutely, but it has shaped me personally as well. It has reminded me of the importance of spaces where young people are listened to, challenged, supported, and respected. Spaces where growth happens both quietly and collectively. Spaces where you leave a little different than when you arrived.
To anyone considering applying to the next YAG, it is something special. I hope it offers you as much connection, challenge, joy, and motivation as it has offered me. And I hope you continue building on what is already here, widening the table, reshaping it, and creating even more room for young voices to lead.
Recruitment for the next VFFF Youth Advisory Group will begin later this year. Keep an eye out for more information about the process in the coming months.
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