1. National Youth Association Theory of Change
Claim Your Future

2. What We Believe
We believe that youth have a right to claim their own
futures.
We believe that youth deserve to be involved when
politicians, communities, and corporations try to
write their futures.
We believe that involving youth is the only way to
address issues like college affordability,
unemployment, and the environment.

3. Our Story
The National Youth Association was founded in 2010 after youth found that their
voices were not being heard in the political process. On TV, Radio, Meeting Rooms,
and the Hallways of Congress people were talking about the “future” and the
“youth” and yet not a single youth voice was present. That November, just two years
after some of the historically highest numbers of youth involvement, youth
involvement dropped to abysmally low numbers. There needed to be a “special
interest group” for young people in Washington and a group of the top youth
leaders came together to make an organization that would do just that.
Our goal is to be that voice to secure a high quality of life for youth. The National
Youth Association works to advance the youth agenda in American society and helps
youth realize their true potential. We give everyday youth the opportunity to make a
tremendous difference in public policy and beyond.
Our theory of change involves securing a permanent seat at the political process
through the electoral process, bringing communities together to talk about youth
issues, and providing services and information to youth.

4. Core Values
Youth are powerful. Youth are agents of social change. A generation can be empowered to have the potential
to become active players in the society around them.
Always be thankful. The mission of the National Youth Association is accomplished only through the
generosity of others and partnerships with other groups and communities. An efficient organization is
transparent and responsive to the public by way of efficient, cost-effective, and compassionate stewardship of
resources.
Break norms, not laws. The National Youth Association respects relationships with federal, state, and local
governmental regulations. An ethical organization acts with integrity, openness, and honesty and encourages
respectful and fair treatment in all relationships, dealings, and transactions. However, this does not prevent an
organization from taking risks and being bold.
Tear down boundaries. The National Youth Association recognizes the importance of strengthening
communities and organizations through collaboration, common ground, and the celebration of diversity.
Act Quickly and boldly. The National Youth Association recognizes that opportunities do not always have an
unlimited amount of time on them and that to maximize impact we must act quickly and boldly.
Focus on impact. The National Youth Association is committed to continuous improvement through
measurable data-points and performance targets.
Expect excellence and continuous improvement. The National Youth Association is committed to a culture of
excellence, innovation, rigorous and focused planning, and efficient use of technology.

5. Our Team: The Many Faces of NYA
80,000 Members Around the Nation
750,000 Youth Participating
100 Student governments and youth organizations represented in our organization
National Board and Staff:

6. Our Impact
• All 535 Members of Congress Rated and Graded on Various Pieces of Youth
Legislation
•2,500 volunteers mobilized
• 162 Leadership Positions at the National and State Levels
• Working with the Department of Education on student bill of rights
• Conducted national campaigns on Youth Voting Rights, Union Voting Power in
Wisconsin, DREAM Act, Student Loan Reform, Occupy Wall Street, college tuition
increases, and Brutality against students in the UC System
•Established key partnerships with organizations such as National Education
Association, Rock the Vote, StudentsFirst, Khan Academy, etc. to advance student
agenda
• Successfully defended a university student from illegal incarceration
• United thousands of youth against Bank of America’s monthly fees
• Rallied behind the efforts to pass the DREAM Act at the federal and local levels of
government

7. Theory of Change
Long-Term Goal Secure high quality
of life for youth
Politicians must enact Entire communities Remove barriers of
Outcomes policies that support must come together access to services
youth to support youth and knowledge
Assumptions A. High quality includes educational opportunities, employment,
and environmental sustainability
B. High quality requires the removal of barriers such as lack of
services and access to information
C. The political process can create policies that support a high
quality of life
D. Elections are opportunities for youth to solidify permanent
seats in the decision making process
E. Change can come a unification of the community

8. Theory of Change
Long-Term Goal Secure high quality
of life for youth
Politicians must Entire communities Remove barriers of
Outcomes enact policies that must come together access to services
support youth to support youth and knowledge
Youth need to have Youth need to have
Youth need to have
a permanent seat in opportunities to
access to much-
Needs the political voice their opinions
needed services
process and have a dialogue
Robust 2012 Election
Roundtables Youth Clinics
Programs Organizing
NYA Youth Credit
Lobbying Program
Union

9. Theory of Change
All Programs
People/Field
Money
Strategy
PAC Chapters Volunteers “Coalition”
Foundation State
(Clinics) Organizations
Investors
(Fund)
Publicity (Celebrities, Youth
Union, Corporate, Grassroots Pledges (Politicians)
Leaders, Organizations)

10. Theory of Change
Publicity (Celebrities,
Union, Corporate,
Youth Leaders, Pledges (Politicians)
Grassroots
Organizations)
Claim Your Future

11. Claim Your Future Marketing
WHAT WE WANT WHAT WE’RE DOING
MAKE COLLEGE AFFORDABLE 2012 Elections/Youth Super PAC
Loan forgiveness, caps on student loan We will make endorsements for youth-friendly
interest rates, refinancing opportunities, candidates and try to win 20 congressional seats.
lowering tuition, increasing grants, fixing K-12 to We will hold all of them accountable to get “What We
prepare all for college Want” next year.
Roundtables
ADDRESS YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT We bring together youth leaders, politicians, and
Invest in job creation and support startups, businesses together at the local level to get “What
pledge to hire young, help youth buying We Want”.
homes and saving for retirement, raising the Clinics/Youth Credit Union
minimum wage We will try to help get “What We Want” directly
through free college and job assistance clinics and
INVEST IN THE ENVIRONMENT a credit union that offers low interest student and
Invest in new technologies, reduce business loans.
dependence on foreign oil, support renewable
energy
“People” Asks: Pledge to Vote, Volunteer, Chapter!
“Money” : Unions, Corporations, Individuals
“Other”: Celebrities, Youth Leaders, Organizations, Politicians
Ideas: Tumblr with pictures and events going on and celebrity and youth photo campaign saying they “Claimed their future”, texting
campaign, possible organizer conference in the summer.

12. Measurable Indicators
Politicians must Entire communities Remove barriers of
enact policies that must come together access to services
support youth to support youth and knowledge
Indicator: Legislative Indicator: Roundtables Indicator: Number of
Passages Population: Community Youth At Clinic
Population: Politicians and Youth Leaders Population: Youth
Indicator: Number of
Loans/Credit Builder
Accounts
Population: Youth

13. Organizing Model
Foundation:
National Level:
Board of Directors (15) – Elected from National Youth Association of
Board of Directors (15) – Two from “Young at Heart”
America, Inc.
President
President
Executive Director
Executive Director
PAC Director
Fund Director/Senior Vice-President of Financial Services
PAC Staff
Fund Advisory Board
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, Policy and Tracking
Senior Vice President of Communications
Senior Vice President, Governmental Relations
Senior Vice President of Events and Programs
Policy Council
Senior Vice President of Aid
Senior Vice President, Field Operations
Organizing Institute Accreditation Board
Senior Vice President, Advocacy Communications
Senior Vice President, Development
E^3 Coalition Representatives
STATE DIRECTORS NATIONAL COUNCIL
State Level:
State Board of Directors (9)
State Director
Deputy Director of Finance
Deputy Director of Advcoacy
Deputy Director of Communications
Deputy Director of Development
COUNTY DIRECTORS (as needed)
LOCAL CHAPTERS

14. 2012 Field Strategy
The 20 races identified are as follows:
CA-26
CA-10
CO-3
FL-8
MD-6*
MO-2
NC-7
NC-11
NH-1
NH-2*
NV-3
NY-13
NY-19
OH-6
For the 2012 electoral strategy, we will be concentrating on 20 TX-23**
Congressional Races. During our evaluation of congressional races, we PA-08*
attempted to identify races that would maximize the impact of our PA-15*
limited resources and have a cross-sectional impact for our dollar VA-02*
(maximize impact at the state and national level for other Senatorial, VA-10*
Gubernatorial, and Presidential campaigns). Additionally, we focused on WA-10
races that we believed would allow us to take advantage of our major
centers of members geographically and advance our organizational
capacity for future use. Despite all of these, our core focus will be on the
Congressional Races.
After 2012, we will attempt to build an avenue and access to relay youth
related issues through a youth caucus and build a robust coalition of
youth organizations to access the avenue through the NYA and push for
issues that we want to see advocated for.

15. Roundtables
Community
Leaders
Pledge
Action Plan
Roundtable
Business
Leaders Youth
Pledge Suggest
Funding Solutions

16. Fund
Problem Solution
Youth across America have low/no credit Create a new “Youth Credit Score” for
scores and can’t get access to cash so low-interest:
they:
• Start-Up Loans
• Have to pay a ton of money on • Student Loans
interest to go to college • Cash Advances
• Can’t start their own businesses
• Have to charge regular stuff “Youth Credit Score” = Normal Credit +
(textbooks, food) to credit cards with Grades + Activities + Recommendations
super high interest rates
Credit Builder Accounts
Deposit a “loan” in an account and
boost your credit score to lower interest
rates on your mortgage, car, etc.

17. Clinics (Value)
Target Customers
Businesses Sales (Youth)
Target Customers
Businesses Clinics
(Youth)

18. Clinics (Revenue)
NYA
Clinics Partners Partners
$
Partner Partner
Products Products Partner
($) ($) Products
Youth NYA
Youth
Partners pay to have We refer youth to partners NYA receives a commission
products featured in clinics. for services we cannot for every referral to keep
NYA refers as needed. provide. clinics running.

19. Claim Your Future Asks
Ask Who For What Who’s Asking
Unions/PACs Money (Donor) PAC/C4
Corporations Money (Donor) PAC/C4
Clinics/Foundatio
Money (Partner)
n
Money Roundtables/Sta
(Sponsor) te Directors
Money
Fund
(Investor)
High Net Worth
Money (Donor) PAC/C4
Individuals
Money
Fund
(Investor)

20. Claim Your Future Asks
Ask Who For What Who’s Asking
Celebrities Publicity/Name PAC/C4
Youth Leaders Publicity/Name PAC/C4
Organizations
Publicity/Name PAC/C4
and Leaders
Politicians Pledges PAC/C4
Publicity: Sharing on social networks (#claimyourfuture), Participating in a “Claim
Your Future” Tumblr Photo Campaign (holding up a “coupon” that people use to
claim their future), listing their name on the website, emailing out (if organization)