The next generation has often been referred to as selfish and entitled, yet they’re the very people who are redefining philanthropy and social impact.

“The Millennial generation’s desire to do good in this world is a powerful force that has the potential to disrupt not only traditional practices of giving, but the fundamentals underpinning how we earn, use, and invest our financial and human capital,” said Melissa Stevens, executive director of the Milken Institute’s Center for Strategic Philanthropy.

With the world’s population projected to reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, the next generation will be tasked with tackling complex issues like forced migration, better education for girls, and increased food demand. While it may sound daunting, several next-gen leaders aren’t going home, they’re going big, and they want you to join them.

Global Challenge #1: Food Systems

What we eat is hurting the planet, according to Simone Friedman, who leads the philanthropy and impact investment efforts for her family’s organization, EJF Philanthropies.

Not only is global food demand expected to increase between 59 percent to 98 percent by 2050, but meat and dairy consumption has grown, leading to factory-farming practices, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Friedman says CAFOs, which are blamed for pollution, are just one example of the food system’s complexity.

“It’s not just an issue of animal welfare, it’s not just an issue of greenhouse gas emissions for climate change,” said Friedman. “It’s truly a matter of [how] people living near these places are really harmed.”

Operating with a “problem first” mindset, Friedman hopes to create an acceleration of change through an unlikely method: Funding the promotion of the documentary film, Eating Animals.

“It will provide momentum to really spread this message to a lot of other people about why the food system is broken and how individual people can make a difference,” said Friedman.

Meanwhile, urban areas are grappling with another problem: Food deserts.

According to John R. Seydel, director of sustainability for the City of Atlanta, 53 percent of Atlanta was considered a food desert, an area with limited access to fresh produce and other whole foods required for a healthy diet, in 2010. They often exist in minority and low-income neighborhoods.

“Something that's been left behind in the environmental movement is the justice factor,” said Seydel.

Using an urban agriculture model, Atlanta has reduced its food deserts to 36 percent. Seydel, who is tasked with driving Atlanta toward 100 percent renewable energy, said metropolitan areas provide a place to test new initiatives and report on the outcomes.

“[Cities] are the experimental, scalable labs,” Seydel.

Global Challenge #2: Refugees

A staggering 65.6 million people worldwide are categorized as forcibly displaced by the UN Refugee Agency. While we often think of refugees who are forced to flee from war and genocide, these numbers could also increase due to environmental factors.

“Forced migration is the crisis of our time and our generation,” said John Kluge, founder of Refugee Investment Network. “It may not be as present on our shores here as something like climate change, but it is coming.”

Kluge offered a solution that he believes can foster peace, strengthen economies, and create self-reliant individuals: Investing in refugee entrepreneurs.

He admits that a problem of this magnitude hasn’t led to cut-and-dry solutions. Based on various learnings, Alight Fund has pivoted several times to determine the best funding mechanism.

Although it hasn’t been an easy road, there are bright spots. According to the Alight Fund, refugees who are given financing have an average repayment rate of more than 99 percent.

Now, it’s time for investors, philanthropists, and everyday citizens to drive economic development solutions for forced migration.

“Capital is an instrument of justice,” said Kluge.

Global Challenge #3: Girls’ Education

While these changemakers are currently in the midst of developing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems, one social impact influencer is ensuring the next generation of leaders in Africa’s fastest growing economy is equipped with one very important tool: Education.

Mountains of data point to the positive effects of educating girls. Women who are better educated tend to be healthier, earn higher incomes, and have fewer children. Because Rwanda has a lower rate of corruption and the world’s first female majority parliament, co-founders of the Rwanda Girls Initiative Suzanne Sinegal McGill and Shalisan Foster identified the country as a place to make an impact.

“We developed and built a secondary school for girls with university prep focused on STEM,” McGill said. “We thought what if we create this amazing model of excellence that takes away every possible obstacle and give these girls every chance and launch them and see how they can be the leaders of the continent?”

Identifying the specific education need required a basic skill: Listening. McGill and Foster visited Rwanda and met with those in the country, like the Ministry of Education, who knew where the gaps existed in girls education. This information shaped the model for the school.

The school, which opened in 2011, boasts five graduating classes and several students have gone on to Ivy League colleges. But, McGill is looking at the bigger picture: These results have changed the culture of educating girls in Rwanda and she’s hopeful that by sharing their learnings, this model can be used throughout the continent.

And disseminating best practices in this highly networked world is just one way the next generation plans to take action differently.

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Original contribution by Jen Jope, Editor-in-Chief at Giving Compass.