Formation | October 2020 |
---|---|
Founder | Aidan Kohn-Murphy |
Type | Nonprofit |
87-2835389 | |
Legal status | Non-profit advocacy organization; 501(c)(4) |
Location | |
Methods | Social media, Digital Organizing, Activism |
Membership | 500+ |
Acting Executive Director | Elise Joshi |
Staff | 15–20 |
Website | https://genzforchange.org/ |
Formerly called | TikTok for Biden |
Gen-Z for Change, formerly called TikTok for Biden, (Spanish: Gen-Z X el Cambio, formerly Gen-Z por el Cambio) is an American non-profit advocacy organization, founded in 2020 that uses social media to promote civil discourse and civil action among members of Generation Z. It consists of a core team of 15–20 people and a coalition of over 500 content creators and activists, and partners with influencers, activists and celebrities to produce multimedia content. Its advocacy addresses a wide range of topics such as abortion rights, COVID-19, student debt cancellation, climate change, income inequality, social inequality, foreign policy, voting rights, and LGBT issues. Collectively, Gen-Z for Change's members have 540 million followers and receive 1.5 billion monthly views on social media.[1][2]
Gen-Z for Change has received significant news coverage for its activities, including a one-hour briefing with the White House for 30 prominent TikTok content creators about the United States’ strategic goals regarding the war in Ukraine (which was parodied by Saturday Night Live),[3][4] protests against companies such as Starbucks and Kroger for anti-union firings,[5] and abortion-rights advocacy following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Olivia Julianna, one of Gen-Z for Change's political strategists, raised more than $2 million in donations to abortion funds across the country through the organization after U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz ridiculed her appearance in July 2022.[6][7]
The organization's account on TikTok was created in October 2020 under the name TikTok for Biden, to support Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election in the United States.[8] The organization was renamed Gen-Z for Change in January 2021.[9]
In early March 2022, the presidency of Joe Biden enlisted Gen-Z for Change to help organize a briefing between senior administration officials and prominent social media influencers about the Russo-Ukrainian War.[9] The briefing was leaked to The Washington Post, which later inspired a sketch on NBC's comedy show Saturday Night Live.[10][11] Prior to that, Gen-Z for Change partnered with the White House and United States Department of Health and Human Services to combat COVID-19 misinformation and promote vaccination efforts.[12] Although the organization has regularly criticized the Biden administration, some have worried about their close ties to each other.[9]
In late 2023, Gen-Z por el Cambio was established as a section dedicated to Latino and Latin American perspectives on issues like immigration.[13] It is now called Gen-Z X el Cambio.
In March 2024, Gen-Z for Change, with organizations like March for Our Lives, Sunrise Movement, and United We Dream Action, submitted a petition to Biden regarding U.S. democracy, climate change, and immigration.[14]