YOUth: The Young Person's Guide to Starting a Nonprofit
Olivia Zhang
Feb 2026 · Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Ebook
168
Pages
Tools
info
About this ebook
This essential guidebook—created by the founder of Cancer Kids First, the world’s largest youth-led cancer nonprofit—gives young changemakers the exact blueprint they need to turn big ideas into real-world impact.
Young people are driving social change like never before—but many passionate activists lack the roadmap to turn their ideas into sustainable organizations. In this guide, Olivia Zhang, who launched Cancer Kids First at age fourteen after losing two loved ones to cancer, delivers the comprehensive nonprofit playbook she wishes she’d had when first starting out. Now a student at Harvard University and a recent inductee into the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Impact (she was the youngest honoree in her category in 2026), Zhang shares her journey of scaling a youth-led charity to reach over 10,000 patients across twenty-two countries.
Readers will receive the following:
Drawing from her viral Google Docs guide—which garnered more than 400,000 views—Zhang transforms trial-and-error lessons into an actionable blueprint, covering startup essentials, growth strategies, and the authentic leadership challenges unique to young founders. Whether you’re in high school or college, for every passionate young person who believes they can (and should) change the world—YOUth is the ultimate resource to make it happen.
Young people are driving social change like never before—but many passionate activists lack the roadmap to turn their ideas into sustainable organizations. In this guide, Olivia Zhang, who launched Cancer Kids First at age fourteen after losing two loved ones to cancer, delivers the comprehensive nonprofit playbook she wishes she’d had when first starting out. Now a student at Harvard University and a recent inductee into the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Impact (she was the youngest honoree in her category in 2026), Zhang shares her journey of scaling a youth-led charity to reach over 10,000 patients across twenty-two countries.
Readers will receive the following:
- Step-by-step instructions on legal filing, branding, teambuilding, and fundraising
- Practical worksheets, checklists, and actionable exercises
- A Gen-Z–friendly format with emojis and approachable language
- Proven strategies from Zhang’s journey of scaling Cancer Kids First globally
Drawing from her viral Google Docs guide—which garnered more than 400,000 views—Zhang transforms trial-and-error lessons into an actionable blueprint, covering startup essentials, growth strategies, and the authentic leadership challenges unique to young founders. Whether you’re in high school or college, for every passionate young person who believes they can (and should) change the world—YOUth is the ultimate resource to make it happen.
This essential guidebook—created by the founder of Cancer Kids First, the world’s largest youth-led cancer nonprofit—gives young changemakers the exact blueprint they need to turn big ideas into real-world impact.
Young people are driving social change like never before—but many passionate activ...
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About the author
Olivia Zhang founded Cancer Kids First (CKF) in 2019 at age fourteen after losing two loved ones to cancer. As CEO, she's grown CKF into the world's largest youth-led nonprofit in its field, with 40,000+ volunteers across eighty countries. Zhang is a 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Impact honoree.
Olivia Zhang founded Cancer Kids First (CKF) in 2019 at age fourteen after losing two loved ones to cancer. As CEO, she's grown CKF into the world's largest youth-led nonprofit in its field, with 40,000+ volunteers across eighty countries. Zhang is a 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Impact honoree.
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