Youth vs. Apocalypse (YVA) is a left-of-center climate activist organization. It mobilizes young people to protest the conventional energy industry in the name of fighting climate change. It also focuses on the alleged impact of climate change on racial justice. ¹

It is a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), a prominent incubator of left-of-center and radical-left organizations in the United States. ²

Background

Youth vs. Apocalypse is a left-of-center climate activist organization. It is a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), a prominent incubator of left-wing and radical-left organizations in the United States. All donations to YVA are made through Alliance for Global Justice. ³

Activities

Youth vs. Apocalypse mobilizes young people to protest against the energy industry in the name of fighting climate change. It focuses on the way climate change allegedly impacts racial justice and aims to “prioritize the voices and the leadership of those who have been abused by the system that causes climate change, and by those who are most affected by pollution.” In fighting climate change, YVA believes it has “a unique opportunity to rebuild society” based on the principles of sustainability, easily accessed mental-health programs, taxpayer-funded health care, and the abolition of racism and sexism. ⁴

In April 2023, Youth vs. Apocalypse received coverage from Teen Vogue, the subsidiary of Vogue magazine targeted at teenage readers and notable for its favorable coverage of radical-left movements. The reporter quoted numerous YVA members on their views regarding climate change. One member, an 18-year-old named Lizbeth Ibarra, linked climate change to racism: “[Chevron is] poisoning our lungs, the air, the soil. Refineries are often placed in communities, like Richmond, with low-income people of color. You don’t see that where there’s mostly white people. It’s environmental racism.” She also said one must link climate change to “racism, capitalism, sexism” to get youth interested in activism. ⁵ These arguments are reflected in YVA’s official “Points of Unity,” a manifesto of principles. ⁶ As of April 2024, Ibarra is a member of YVA’s board of directors. ⁷

YVA runs campaigns with its supporters, such as “#CA Youth Vs Big Oil” which aims to convince California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to suspend all permits to oil companies. ⁸

Funding

Youth vs. Apocalypse is a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), a prominent incubator of left-wing and radical-left organizations in the United States. AFGJ describes itself as an “anti-capitalist” group and offshoot from the Nicaragua Network, a group which supported the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. ^{9 10} Donations to YVA are processed  through AFGJ. ¹¹

In 2019, the Annenberg Foundation gave Youth vs. Apocalypse $15,000 through 350 Bay Area. ¹²

In 2020, Alliance for Global Justice had reported revenue of $56,484,154, expenses of $54,150,822, and net assets of $5,967,783. ¹³

In 2020, Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights gave Youth vs. Apocalypse $8,000 to “protect women’s human rights.” ¹⁴ That year, the San Francisco Foundation gave Youth vs. Apocalypse $70,000 to support its “short-term POC & youth-led campaign” to advocate for the divestment of $6 billion from the fossil fuel industry in the Bay Area. ¹⁵

In 2021, the Manzanita Foundation gave Youth vs. Apocalypse $30,000 for “general operating support.” ¹⁶ That year, the Wallace Global Fund gave $30,000 to support its “movement building work” and Solutions Project gave it $30,000 through its Fighters Fund. ^{17 18}

Leadership

As of March 2024, the organization’s fiscal sponsorship coordinator, who manages the relationship between Youth vs Apocalypse and Alliance for Global Justice was Kiki Quach, a “genderfluid, transfeminine dancer and spoken word poet.” ¹⁹

At that time, YVA’s board of directors included David Foecke, Khafre Jay, Cory Jong, Nik Evasco, Matt Leonard, and Lizbeth Ibarra. ²⁰

1. “Donate.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/donations.
2. “Points of Unity.” Youth vs. Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/points-of-unity.
3. “Donate.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/donations.
4. “Points of Unity.” Youth vs. Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/points-of-unity.
5. Anderson, Brooke. “Youth vs. Apocalypse Puts Working-Class Young People of Color at the Heart of the Climate Fight.” Teen Vogue, April 11, 2023. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/youth-vs-apocalypse.
6. “Points of Unity.” Youth vs. Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/points-of-unity.
7. “Board.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/yvaboard.
8. “#CA Youth Vs Big Oil.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/ca-youthvsbigoil.
9. “Our Principles.” Alliance for Global Justice, December 21, 2018. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20181221042623/https://afgj.org/about/our-principles.
10. Hogberg, David. “Communists Funding the Resistance: The Alliance for Global Justice.” Capital Research Center, August 29, 2017. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://capitalresearch.org/article/communists-funding-the-resistance-the-alliance-for-global-justice/.
11. “Donate.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/donations.
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). The Annenberg Foundation. 2019. Part XV – 3, Grants and Contributions.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Alliance for Global Justice. 2021. Part I. Lines 12, 18, 22.
14.  Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Urgent Action Fund for Womens Humans Rights. 2020. Schedule I, Part II, Grants and Other Assistance.
15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). San Francisco Foundation. 2020. Schedule I, Part II – Grants and Other Assistance.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). The Manzanita Foundation. 2021. Part XIV, 3 – Grants and Contributions.
17. ^[1] Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Wallace Global Fund. 2021. Part XIV, 3 – Grants and Contributions.
18. Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Solutions Project. 2021. Schedule I, Part II – Grants and Other Assistance.
19. “Kiki.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/kiki.
20. “Board.” Youth vs Apocalypse. Accessed March 30, 2024. https://www.youthvsapocalypse.org/yvaboard.