Inside our latest Impact Chat with five students who are making “love of humanity” everyday

When host Kiki Angelos opened our Impact Chat with a simple question—“What does philanthropy mean to you?”—the room got quiet in the best way. Not because no one had an answer, but because the word itself felt… distant. Fancy. Old. Within minutes, the students reframed it completely—and in doing so, showed us how Gen Z is taking philanthropy back from the velvet-rope vibe and returning it to where it belongs: the hallway, the kitchen table, the block.

“It’s more than donating—it’s caring for people.” —Ray

This group didn’t talk about galas. They talked about showing up.

The word feels old. The meaning doesn’t.

Most of the group admitted they rarely hear philanthropy among peers, except as something rich adults do. Yet when asked what it looks like, the answers flowed: checking in on a classmate, leaving a note for a teacher who looks exhausted, sharing rides, sharing notes, sharing time. 

Eduardo prefers the word altruism: going out of your way for someone else. Calie thinks of rolling up your sleeves in a classroom. Elijah boils it down to kindness. Jordana calls it small acts with big intention.

“Don’t do it to check a box. Do it because it’s yours—and follow through.” —Jordana

The moments that “tap” you

At Defeat the Streets, we talk about taps—those experiences that wake you up to the part you’re meant to play.

• Ray felt it on a mission trip to Ecuador: teaching English, pouring concrete, and realizing that relationships—not receipts—make giving real. Later, daily car rides with a friend’s dad turned into lifesaving conversations the dad desperately needed.
• Eduardo learned to sew masks during lockdown and donated them locally. Meeting neighbors face-to-face changed “helping” from theory to habit.
• Calie student-taught in a school where under-resourced kids quietly fell below the radar. Her tap: equity means support shouldn’t depend on who’s easiest to help.
• Elijah, born with a leg-length discrepancy, remembers the isolation. Helping his cousin with asthma—and welcoming quieter classmates—was how he turned pain into purpose.
• Jordana started a Mental Health Awareness Club after supporting a friend in crisis. The project outlasted her four years and softened stigma in the process.

What’s broken—and where they’re building

The group named the same fracture lines many of us feel:

• Disconnection in the middle of constant connection—polarization, doom-scrolls, everyone in their own bubbles.
• Performance over presence—being scared of “corny” sincerity.
• Mental health as an afterthought, not a foundation.
• Uneven support in schools—some kids get resources; others get babysat.

Their solutions were strikingly small and repeatable: start conversations, offer rides, share notes, invite the student who eats alone, learn one neighbor’s name, say the kind thing out loud. None of that requires permission or a budget—just intention.

“You won’t always know how much you mean to someone. Say it anyway.” —Ray

Language shift, same heart

If philanthropy doesn’t land, swap the word. The heart stays: connection → caring → action. Call it showing up, being there, looking out, passing it on. The label isn’t the point; the practice is.

Why this matters to DTS

At Defeat the Streets, we believe philanthropy isn’t a tax bracket—it’s a culture of caring. Gen Z is already living it. Our role is to amplify it:

• THIS IS YOUR WORLD — a short, student-voiced podcast where high schoolers put real stories on the mic.
• Youth Advisory Board (16–25) — students co-create our Youth Philanthropy Initiative and help shape programs that meet real needs.
• Educator Advisory Council — teachers and youth leaders bring classroom wisdom to youth-driven change.

Want in?

• High school students: Be a guest on THIS IS YOUR WORLD. Five to eight minutes.  Your voice; your story.
• Ages 16–25: Join the DTS Youth Advisory Board and help design what caring looks like in practice.
• Educators & program leads: Partner with us. Let’s build student-led service and storytelling together.

Tap your inner philanthropist. Start small. Start today. That’s how movements begin.