Investor Day
Youth Guidance Investor Day brings together leaders from philanthropy, business, education, research, and the public sector to explore a critical question: How can we invest in proven solutions that improve outcomes for young people and communities?
Through evidence, lived experience, and candid conversation, Investor Day creates space to examine what works—and what it takes to bring effective approaches to more young people.
A Conversation About Evidence, Investment, and Impact
In November 2025, more than 100 philanthropic, civic, corporate, education, and community leaders gathered for Youth Guidance’s inaugural Investor Day in Chicago.
The event explored a business-model approach to social impact: identifying programs with strong evidence, understanding their return on investment, and considering what it takes to bring effective solutions to more young people.
Former Chicago Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel joined Youth Guidance leaders, researchers, practitioners, school partners, and young people for a conversation about the role proven programs can play in addressing some of the most urgent challenges facing young people and communities.
Proven Solutions Deserve the Opportunity to Scale
The 2025 conversation started from a straightforward premise: when programs demonstrate meaningful results, we should ask not only whether they work, but how more young people can benefit from them.
Youth Guidance brought together evidence from BAM, WOW, and EVOLVE with the perspectives of researchers, educators, practitioners, and young people themselves—connecting measurable outcomes with the lived experiences behind them.
- 50% reduction in violent-crime arrests – BAM
- 19% increase in on-time high school graduation – BAM
- Statistically significant reductions in PTSD, depression, and anxiety – WOW
- Nearly $30 : $1 estimated societal benefit for every $1 invested in BAM
Voices from Investor Day
Evidence Gives Us Confidence to Think Bigger
Investor Day reflects a larger commitment at Youth Guidance: pairing deep relationships with rigorous evidence and using what we learn to strengthen programs, respond to emerging needs, and thoughtfully expand our reach.
Through the Bright Futures Campaign, Youth Guidance is building the philanthropic capacity to protect proven programs, fuel innovation, and expand our reach to meet the growing needs of young people nationwide.
The Conversation Continues
What works and how do we take it further?
Investor Day is an ongoing conversation about evidence, investment, and the opportunity to improve outcomes for young people.
Youth Guidance will continue bringing together voices from across sectors to explore how proven approaches can inform practice, philanthropy, and public investment.