We Lead Ours: Building Youth Leaders Through Sports and Civic Life

Founded in 2010, WELO uses sports, mentorship, and civic engagement to turn Bay Area youth into community leaders. Here's what they need — and how your giving shows up.

We Lead Ours started with a simple but uncommon belief: that young people don't just need mentors — they need to become them. Founded in 2010 by Dwayne Aikens Jr., Trestin George, and Lamont Robinson, WELO empowers youth through hands-on enrichment programs that build career skills, civic leadership, college readiness, and health and wellness — not as separate tracks but as a unified vision of what a whole young person can become. Givelink, a Transparent Giving Platform that connects donors to verified U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits with photo proof of delivery, partners with WELO to connect donors who believe in Bay Area youth to the specific goods that make WELO's programs run. Here is what that looks like.

Key Takeaways

• WELO has empowered Bay Area youth through sports, mentorship, and civic engagement since 2010.
• Programs span career exploration, civic leadership, college prep, and health and wellness — the full arc of youth development.
• Sports equipment, program supplies, and career readiness materials are in constant demand.
• In-kind giving is direct — specific goods go directly into program activities, not a general budget.
• Givelink donors give 60% more times per year than traditional platform donors (Givelink data, 2026).

What WELO does — and why it matters

WELO's programs don't treat youth development as a single intervention. The young people who come to WELO aren't just getting tutored or coached — they're building the skills, relationships, and civic identity that will define who they become as adults.

Career exploration programs expose youth to professional environments and options they might not encounter in their neighborhoods. Civic leadership training teaches them how systems work — and how to change them. College preparation gives them the practical tools to access higher education. Health and wellness programming builds the physical foundation for everything else.

The through-line is leadership: not as a destination, but as a daily practice. WELO youth are expected to show up, step up, and eventually lead others.

"Giving was always supposed to be a thread between two lives."

A donor who gives sports equipment to WELO sends something to a young person learning that discipline on a court can translate to discipline in a career.

What WELO needs from donors right now

Program Area	Items Needed	Who They Reach
Sports Programs	Basketballs, soccer balls, jerseys, cones	Youth in sports-based leadership programs
Civic Leadership	Notebooks, folders, printed materials	Youth in civic and leadership training
Career Exploration	Professional clothing, portfolios, pens	Youth preparing for internships and career exposure
College Prep	SAT prep books, calculators, binders	High school students on college track
Health & Wellness	Resistance bands, yoga mats, water bottles	All program participants
General	Backpacks, hygiene kits, snacks	All WELO youth, across programs

Why this matters in 2026

Youth civic disengagement is at a documented high. The 2025 CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) report found that Bay Area youth civic participation declined for the second consecutive year — driven primarily by a sense that "the system doesn't listen to people like me." WELO is one of the few organizations explicitly building civic identity alongside practical skills, and doing it through the medium that already has young people's attention: sports and movement.

Givelink in action with WELO

A donor in Oakland gave sports equipment and career prep materials through Givelink to WELO. Two weeks later, a photo arrived: the equipment laid out for a program session, notebooks stacked and ready. She gave again the following month. Browse WELO's wishlist on Givelink.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does We Lead Ours need most from donors?

WELO's highest-demand items are sports equipment, career readiness materials (professional clothing, portfolios), college prep supplies, and general program supplies for their leadership and wellness tracks.

Is WELO a legitimate nonprofit?

Yes. We Lead Ours is a verified 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 and operating Bay Area youth programs across sports, civic leadership, and college readiness. Their Givelink profile displays Charity Navigator evaluation data.

Give a young leader the tools they need this week

Browse WELO's wishlist on Givelink and give something specific that arrives at a program session.

Stay Human.

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Antonis Politis is CEO and Co-Founder of Givelink.