“One of the key principles is to address the root cause of the issue. There’s lots of ways to get at it. Like, ‘Why are people food insecure?’ Are they not making enough money? Do they not have enough access to benefits? So you could support community groups that are fighting for an increase in the minimum wage, and that can help with food insecurity,” explains Iimay Ho, Resource Generation’s executive director.

Resource Generation might be unique in its approach, but it is not alone. A combination of the outsized wealth created by Silicon Valley businesses and the philanthropic community’s desire to reach the children of Baby Boomers—who are, according to consulting firm Accenture, set to pass an estimated $30 trillion in inheritances over the next 30 to 40 years—is leading to an explosion of interest in younger donors. These efforts range from the traditionally philanthropic, like 21/64, a nonprofit that works with high-net-worth families to encourage multigenerational philanthropy, to others that are, like Resource Generation, overtly political. On the right, Chase Koch, the son of Charles Koch, has sponsored programs for adult children of conservative donors who attend the Koch network’s twice-yearly meetings. One participant: Rebekah Mercer, the daughter of the conservative donor Robert Mercer and a political power in her own right.

People who join Resource Generation initially meet one-on-one with either a volunteer or staff member at one of the 17 chapters located across the United States, and are encouraged to attend monthly meetings of a practice group, where they discuss everything from what constitutes “enough” money to social-justice philosophies. There is no minimum income or wealth requirement for joining—if someone thinks he or she is wealthy, that is enough for the organization. It also offers more-traditional services, such as investment and personal-finance education, as well as coaching on how to navigate familial and societal secrecy around money.

Resource Generation is perhaps best known for partnering with the organization Wealth for Common Good (now part of Patriotic Millionaires, a group of high-net-worth individuals concerned about income and wealth inequality) to create a website and social-media campaign for members of the 1 percent who wanted to express solidarity with the other 99 percent of the population during Occupy Wall Street in 2011. Called “We are the 1 percent. We stand with the 99 percent,” supporters posted their pictures and a (usually) handwritten index card with their story. “I am a 19-year-old college student at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, and will graduate with no debt,” read one woman’s post. “I’ve always been told it’s crass to talk about my wealth. But it’s time to talk about it.”