The Season Gen Z Girls Turned Giving

Dec 1

Giving Tuesday is tomorrow and Être girls everywhere are giving back in astounding ways. From grass-roots community campaigns to jaw-dropping global activations, girls as young as nine are looking hard at the world around them and then looking inward to ask, what can I do?

The answer is a lot. A whole lot.

With a holiday nod to our summertime Girls Turned Amazing article, here is The Season Gen Z Girls Turned Giving – a fast glimpse into how 42 global girls are giving back right now.

And I’ll echo a note from last time: savor not only what these change-makers are telling you, but the way they’re expressing it…with heartfelt compassion, holiday joy and unbridled hope for what’s next.

It’s an important reminder as the year winds down to be upfront and unapologetic about what truly lights us up.

Giving Tuesday starts tomorrow. Meet the girls who are giving back in impressive and impactful ways today.

(Alphabetical from A to Z; ages from 9 to 25)

“Through my nonprofit, EduHer, I help host fun workshops that make learning more accessible and exciting for kids; we use the proceeds to print and distribute our free educational resources to communities that need them most. I’m especially grateful that this year our materials reached 22 countries, thanks to volunteers around the world and in 30 U.S. states!” – Aadya Anand

"Recently, I launched the $3,000 Leading Through Heart and Humanity Scholarship Program for students interested in pursuing any human health-related career, and this is an initiative of my organization (Medicine Encompassed and The Reconceive Project)! I've also been working with Headstream to support their Accelerator and Youth Collective programs, as the organization focuses on uplifing behavioral and mental health products designed for young people." - Aliza Lopez

“On Giving Tuesday, and every day, I provide preschool kids with free lunch bags, capture and share the adoption journeys of local foster families and try to inspire local seniors with my harp music. Even though I was crowned Princess of America Little Miss this year, really I just want to be a girl who makes a difference.” – Allison Zheng

“I started NeuraSensa to create interactive multisensory art spaces that help neurodiverse individuals feel seen, included, and supported in my community. I am beyond grateful that in just about a year we have reached over 10,000 people through gallery exhibitions, workshops, and free sensory-kit distributions, and I hope to continue expanding this work even more!” – April Surac

“This season I’m focused on my nonprofit organization, Enhancing Educational Equity, where 20+ college mentors are connected to 80+ students providing them with guidance to navigate the complexities of high school and college admissions, while also giving them insights into different college majors. I recently conducted an online workshop with my mentors and 30+ student attendees, and my Giving Tuesday goal is to continue to make more students feel supported and seen.” – Asmi Kaushal

“I participate every year in The Surfrider Foundation’s beach cleanups, joining other volunteers to help clean the shoreline of Topanga Beach in Malibu. I also love giving back by spreading positivity and kindness through my content and I donate lightly used clothes, books, and toys to local community centers to support other kids.” – Brielle Lopez

“I’m nine and I’ve been involved in a lot of activities to give back. I helped spread awareness for Don’t Forget About Me, which provides food and supplies to the unhoused community in Brooklyn, and I served food and supplies on Thanksgiving morning. Also, I’ll be performing in a charity benefit concert on December 20th at Kings Theatre! The concert is organized by Leon Lacey to support aid efforts in Haiti and Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa - find tickets and support us!” – Cassidy Bridges

"I've committed 750 volunteer hours over the past six years, including recently volunteering for the Stray Cat Alliance with the University of Southern California Global Medical Brigade and raising donations for a local LA food pantry. That's how I'm giving back right now!" - Charlotte Delaney Rigg

“As Vice President of the Bayonne Youth Center Student Leadership Board, I play an essential role in the Bayonne Youth Center’s annual Give Thanks event, a community initiative that provides meals, resources and support to families in need during the holiday season. I assist with organizing donations, coordinating distribution efforts, and ensuring that every participating family felt welcomed, supported, and valued.” – Desiree Okonkwo

“Through my podcast, Story Central, I conduct interviews with incredible personalities to inspire listeners around the world. Along with that, I have conducted live storytelling sessions that bring joy and imagination to children in my community.” – Ditya Viral

“I give back to my community by mentoring younger archers, promoting confidence in the sport, and sharing uplifting mental-health messages through my writing and platform. I also represent my school and city with pride as a student athlete, inspiring others to pursue excellence with resilience and purpose.” – Donya Fournier

“A few years ago, I ran a 5K Turkey Trot to raise money for my community, and last year I supported a local shelter. This year I’m partnering with the nonprofit Project I Am, and on Giving Tuesday I’ll be assembling care bags at a wrapping party with friends and joining a virtual nationwide wrapping party. Afterwards, we'll distribute them to a nearby shelter. The bags include essentials like toothbrushes, shampoo, and even socks—small items that can make a big difference. It always feels good to give back but doing it around Thanksgiving is really meaningful.” – Ellivia Gold

“I recently visited an elementary school in Orlando, Florida and got to talk to kindergarten and 4th grade classes. I got to hear about their goals and dreams and talk about my journey. Most, if not all, of the students have never seen a guitar before or had a chance to play one. I brought them each a guitar pick and had them strum some chords. It was an amazing experience. Can’t wait to go back again!” – Francesca Tarantino

“I am the Founder & Executive Director of Gear for Greatness, a non-profit dedicated to helping athletes reach their full potential through providing specific gear or funding. I give back to the athletic community by elevating aspiring athletes by fostering leadership, charity and community synergy.” - Franceska Colocado

“Some ways I give back to my community are through my non-profit that makes homemade gifts for hospice and hospital patients. I also volunteer once a week as an EMT for a local rescue squad!!” – Hena Lad

“As the Founder and Executive Director of STEM Up, an organization dedicated to increasing female representation in STEM, I am leading a new give-back initiative called STEM Up Local: Empowering Girls Through Educational Toolkits in collaboration with the Islamic Community Center of Laurel to distribute 100 toolkits to young girls (with additional supplies for boys as well). We’re also developing our own tutoring platform, set to launch in January 2026, which will provide free STEM tutoring for girls from pre-K through high school.” – Jehan Idsassi

“There are various people in my community fascinated by the field of neuroscience, so this year through the nonprofit Info for Neuroscience I led 80 interns in a Neuroscience Research Internship giving them the chance to learn how conduct a literature review, understand statistics, and create a research poster.” - Kachilo Madubuko

“From Tijuana to Columbus, OH to Montebello, CA, I lead WOW! That’s STEM to provide hands-on science and engineering to students with limited access. I bring resources in citizen science and restore habitat for local wildlife with Los Angeles conservancies and the Arboretum.” – Katelyn Liu

“As a mental health advocate, I am the brand ambassador for the non-profit Girl Well, which serves underserved teenage girls with self-care kits. Additionally, I volunteer with the Kids Mental Health Foundation to raise awareness about mindfulness, and I co-host a teen mental health podcast called Let's Talk About It to empower young adults in their mental health journeys.” – Kensington Tallman

“Normally every Giving Tuesday I pack Kare bags and drop them off at a local homeless shelter. But this year we celebrated a little early by doing a Thanksgiving give back and we were able to supply 200 families with full thanksgiving meals!” – Khloe Thompson

“I give back by creating a community through co-founding the Women Who Rock the Industry panel at East Iris Studios with Vanderbilt’s She Is the Music chapter, uplifting and connecting women in the music industry.” – Lexi Anand

“I am the CEO of Telluride Moonbeam Girls, and we give an annual scholarship to a graduating high school senior girl from our community who plans to pursue a college degree in STEM. We raise the funds to accomplish our goal by selling handmade bracelets – this is how I’m giving back!” - Lola Randall

“This year I’ve been speaking at middle schools across the country about computer science unplugged, giving back by showing students they can learn to code with any materials they have - even without devices or internet connectivity. I’ve also been sending out my book, Coding Unplugged: An Offline Guide to Python Programming, to schools across the U.S. and to charities abroad through my nonprofit, CTRL Code.” – Mary Adegbesan

“I give back by leading Ecorise, where I develop low-cost water filtration solutions and run WASH education sessions to protect children’s right to clean water! My work is centered on practical, community-focused action that tackles water scarcity and hygiene gaps in underserved areas.” – Maryam Arain

“My peers and I (our COO is Sophia Do and our CDO is Dafne Lizardi) are launching a project called Itihaus to address the gap in history literacy amongst secondary school students. We are taking standardized history curriculum and transforming it into immersive stories so that kids across the nations learn to love, not dread history." – Mehek Saini

“The current giving back project I am working on is ZDMO, which stands for Zambian Disabilities Matters Organization. Inspired by my brother, ZDMO helps kids with disabilities find safe educational pathways in Zambia and avoid being bullied due to their differences.” - Memory Banda

“This season I’m focusing on giving back to our local community by volunteering at holiday festivities, including the Quad Cities Arts Festival of Trees and Niabi Zoo events. At the same time, I’m working with my US Representative to bring awareness of the Skip the Plastic campaign to the national level.” – Nicolina Pappas

“I am honored to support the Because I Can film, especially knowing that the documentary will be submitted to top-tier film festivals like Cannes, Tribeca, and TIFF. It feels like a meaningful way of giving back to the world — reminding girls everywhere what they can do, how far they can go, and how powerful it is to expand boundaries and push limits.” – Nitya Lohiya

“Here are two ways I'm giving back: (1) I'm working with the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to organize a week-long conference where we're bringing in delegates from around the world to share entrepreneurship ideas and experiences; it's been incredible working on planning and hearing peoples ideas who are applying to be delegates, and (2) this marks my 14th year participating in Cycle for Survival, where I continue raising money for rare cancer research. It's a cause close to my heart as a cancer survivor and I'm proud to be part of this ongoing effort to fund critical research.” – Noor Hassan

“I host a toy drive every year to provide toys to kids in shelters and local hospitals for Christmas in the Saint Louis Area. I also deliver Paris Cares Bags with food for homeless on the street throughout the year.” - Paris Williams

“Recently, I helped lead a DKMS bone marrow registry drive at my university, encouraging students to join the donor registry through a simple cheek swab and raising awareness about how one match can save a life.” – Reeva Lalani

“During the holidays, I'm giving back by educating others on the importance of women in economies, and helping non-English speakers in my area, through my application, Scan-N-Speak!" – Rhea Shah

“I’ve always prioritized giving back to my community, especially in ways that support children and families. In Texas, I volunteered with the childhood cancer unit through Big Love Cancer Care in San Antonio. During my summers, I created over 1,000 handmade cards for hospitalized children through the “Cards for Hospitalized Kids” organization. After moving to Florida, I continued my involvement by volunteering with a local childhood cancer support group during their oncology nights at church, as well as with TOPSoccer where I work with children with disabilities.” – Riya Patel

“I give back to my community as an officer of YouthRoots, where I helped lead our STEM Inspire project—securing a grant to create hundreds of STEM kits and ship them across the U.S. to students who need access to hands-on learning. This work means so much to me, and I feel genuine joy helping give the gift of education to young learners everywhere.” – Saanvi Vezzu

“This is my 5th year as a Giving Tuesday Sparks leader and my 5th year doing Sending Smiles – a fun, easy and free way to give something that could make someone’s day! Fun fact: in the past 4 years over 18,000 people participated! My advice for anyone looking to give back on Giving Tuesday? I want people to know that you don’t have to spend money to give. You can give your time to help someone. You can give an encouraging note and a ‘smile’ that can brighten someone’s day. Who knows - if they do the same thing, a beautiful chain reaction of giving and kindness can happen!” – Sammie Vance

“This fall, I began EMT training to expand the advocacy I started in my TED-Ed Talk on how women are less likely to receive CPR, fighting for a world where emergency care knows no gender. Through being an EMT in my community, I envision CPR for women not as a privilege — but a promise.” – Sharika Dhar

“I recently mailed in my finished petition in India to ban certain synthetic fibers and chemical dyes and replace their factories with clothes recycling plants, with over 100 signatures to the Prime Minister of India! I am also currently working on my latest book, It's Up to Us to Save The World, which is planned to be out soon.” – Stuti The Activist

“For the third year in a row, I’m honored to collaborate with Project I Am, joining over 1,300 volunteers nationwide to assemble Blessing Bags for our homeless community. This year, I’ve had the honor of recruiting fellow Howard University students to take part in this meaningful initiative, coming together to spread warmth, kindness, and compassion to those who need it most. Together, we’re making sure these Blessing Bags reach individuals throughout Washington, DC, reminding our community that they are seen, valued, and not alone.” – Sydnie Collins

“I’ve been giving back through my app, ReminiCare, which helps memory care patients stay connected to their memories and loved ones. My goal is to bring support and relief to families impacted and inspire more girls to join the STEM field and learn to code!” – Tanya Shah

“I’ve spent the past seven years helping my nana through her non-profit Alpha Starz Inc. to host an annual Thanksgiving luncheon in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, where we serve a full holiday meal and spend time with our seniors. It’s one of my favorite ways to give back and stay connected to the people who raised me.” – Taylor Richardson

“Every year, my organization From We Can’t To We Can hosts a big Christmas party for children with disabilities and their families! We give them an accessible experience that’s often hard to find - but not only that - we help alleviate the financial burden for parents who are struggling because of medical bills, and any medical related costs, by purchasing toys for their child in need. Right now, we’re preparing to serve over 300 people!” – Trinity Jagedo

“This year I continued giving back through our Dollsgiving initiative at Beautiful Curly Me, which has donated thousands of dolls to girls in need, and empowered young entrepreneurs through Youth Mean Business, with mentorship, resources, and grant funding.” – Zoe Oli

Empowering to read? You bet.

Worth following each link and seeing where you can help power these change-makers? I’m standing on my chair saying YES at the top of my lungs.

Feel free to DM me to find out more about any of these initiatives – Giving Tuesday is tomorrow and every effort counts.

As the holidays approach and I think about what makes me grateful, the astounding work of these girls and thousands more like them fill my heart. Join me in sharing their stories.

Looking forward with thanks,

Illana