Hi Brenda
I don't know what your existing qualifications or training are like. In my case, like others who have replied, I created my own charity (not for profit), dedicated to ending child abuse worldwide, while doing a job which did earn me money. I also studied in my spare time to become a Clinical Criminologist - as a result of which I began working in prisons, healing violent offenders (in my spare time). Almost all had been abused or neglected, or both, in childhood.
Fast forward 17 years and I now run the charity full-time, and we are having a real impact in the UK. At end February I go to Eugene, Oregon to speak at the Annual Conference of the 90by30 campaign there. 90by30 is a campaign to reduce child maltreatment by 90% by the year 2030 in Eugene's county. We made the connection because my charity, WAVE Trust (WAVE stands for Worldwide Alternatives to Violence) has a campaign to reduce child maltreatment across the UK by 70% by 2030.
It may seem a long pathway - it took me 9 years to reach the point where WAVE was paying me a salary - but (1) you sound young, and have time. I was 52 years old when I formed WAVE; (2) with the help of our community you'll get there much faster !!
best wishes from London
George