YOUth: The Young Person's Guide to Starting a Nonprofit

by Olivia Zhang

Overview

This essential guidebook, which shows young changemakers how to build successful nonprofits from scratch, comes from the teenage founder of Cancer Kids First, the world’s largest youth-led cancer nonprofit. It features step-by-step worksheets, checklists, and actionable exercises.

Young people are driving social change like never before, but many passionate activists lack the roadmap to turn their ideas into sustainable organizations. Olivia Zhang, who founded Cancer Kids First at age fourteen after losing two loved ones to cancer, delivers the comprehensive nonprofit guide she wishes she’d had when first starting out.

Now a Harvard student and recipient of the Diana Legacy Award, Zhang shares her journey of growing Cancer Kids First to reach over 10,000 patients across twenty-two countries.

Readers will get from Zhang the following:

• Step-by-step instructions on legal filing, branding, team-building, and fundraising
• Practical worksheets, checklists, and actionable exercises
• Gen Z–friendly format with emojis and approachable language
• Proven strategies from Zhang’s journey of scaling Cancer Kids First to twenty-two countries

Drawing from her viral Google Doc guide that garnered more than 400,000 views, Zhang transforms trial-and-error lessons into an actionable blueprint, covering startup essentials, growth strategies, and authentic leadership challenges unique to young founders. For every passionate young person who believes they can and should change the world, YOUth is the ultimate resource to make it happen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798890571557
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	02/03/2026
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	168

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 over 40,000 volunteers across eighty countries. The organization has initiated more than 200 events, donated 60,500 resources, and partnered with seventy-two hospitals, aiding 10,000 patients in twenty-two countries. Zhang received the 2023 Diana Legacy Award and Harvard First-Year Emerging Global Leader award. She has been featured in People, Yahoo News, Business Insider, CBS News, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Many young people have great ideas to make the world a better place and need just a little guidance to put their plans into action. I wish I'd had a book like this when I first started in the nonprofit world; it would have saved so much time and prevented a lot of mistakes.”
—Celeste Headlee, award-winning journalist and bestselling author of We Need to Talk

“Zhang has taken a complicated task of creating a nonprofit from the ground up and turned it into delicious snack-size tips for young people to devour and use to build!”
—Nancy Lublin, Founder, Dress for Success, and former CEO, DoSomething, Inc.

“Olivia has crafted the perfect ‘how to’ book for young people on starting and growing a nonprofit, based on her own experiences. She demonstrates that you don’t need years of experience to tackle a daunting problem.”
—Tina Seelig, Professor, Stanford, and bestselling author of What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20

“This work is like a power tool for young changemakers—sharp, efficient, and built by someone who’s done the work. She skips the fluff and gets real about what it takes to build something that lasts.”
—Marley Dias, Founder, #1000BlackGirlBooks, and bestselling author of Marley Dias Gets It Done

“I’ve seen the power of resilience, and Olivia Zhang channels that same grit and heart on every page of this equal parts playbook and pep talk for the next generation to lead with purpose.”
—Ethan Zohn, Cofounder, Grassroot Soccer

“This book provides a crucial blueprint for young people yearning to positively impact the world NOW—everything from the bits and pieces to the big picture, and also the challenges found within the cracks!”
—Nadya Okamoto, Cofounder, August, and Founder, PERIOD

“Zhang offers a grounded and thoughtful guide for young founders. Having started my own organization at 21, I appreciate the clarity and conviction it takes to lead early—and this book captures that well.”
—Dr. Alaa Murabit, Libyan-Canadian physician, policy maker, and strategist

From the Publisher