Nonprofit Engagement with Every Generation

A defense of the broke Millennial and the tech-challenged Boomer

A few years ago I worked with a group of nuns in Pennsylvania. During our conversation, we asked about the future of their organization, what does 5 years, 10 years down the road look like? Their response is something I'll never forget: "Mark, in 10 years we'll all be dead or close to it, and so will most of our constituents and we'll probably dissolve as an organization so we don't really worry about that." As someone who works to help nonprofits grow and expand over time that's a tough comment to respond to, but thankfully also a pretty rare outlook.

If you have worked with, or for, nonprofits for any period of time a more common response to that question is a reality that current individual giving is focused on older generations. Usually the focus is Baby Boomers or Gen X and most organizations see recruiting future generations as important but not mission-critical. The "why" behind this is pretty obvious (nonprofits receive the majority of their individual gifts from Boomers and X-ers, they're comfortable with the messaging, etc.). This is not an article persuading nonprofits to shift their focus to younger generations or how to effectively communicate with a generation they're not familiar with. There are already many well written and thought out articles covering that topic.

26% of Gen Z-ers have raised money for an organization

The real focus of your nonprofit should be the realization that all of these generations may be different but they are very much connected. An effective fundraising strategy must weave these relationships together. In the above chart I've plotted out the generations on a graph based on our assumptions about wealth and age. The reason many organizations don't see reaching out to Millennials or Gen Z-ers as mission critical is because our statistics show that these individuals contribute fewer dollars than their older counterparts and we assume (correctly) it is related to their overall earning power and net worth. However, the relative wealth of our supporters is only part of the equation. Here is a breakdown of the generations, their perceptions, and a guide on how to engage with them to maximize their strengths.

Generation Z - Born After 1996

• If you're reading this on LinkedIn, the initial reaction is: "How can anyone born after the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered help my organization?" And the wild reality is that this generation is already making an impact. Nonprofit Tech For Good showed that 26% of Gen Z-ers have raised money for an organization. The most important realization here is that the money they are raising doesn't come from their peer group. These donations are being made by their parents (Gen X) and grandparents (Baby Boomers), data that should be highly coveted by any organization.
• Even if a fundraising strategy doesn't include Snapchat advertising, it is still easy to provide an outlet to this generation. Does your social media include a link to let supporters raise money for you? If this generation does fundraise for you, how are you communicating with them after? (Hint, it should be digital).

Millennials - 1980 - 1995

• The generation blamed for everything from the death of Applebee's to Fabric Softener is at it again here to wreck your finely tuned fundraising strategy. A Blackbaud survey found that for the majority Millennials their loyalty is to cause over organization. They are a generation of individuals who have seen the mismanagement of nonprofit funds and know they can make an impact without relying on you.
• If your only social media strategy is "get more followers" or "get more likes" you're missing out on a key part of utilizing the Millennial influencers that could be lurking in your constituent database. A key part of your strategy has to be identifying which of your supporters can raise your message to their vast social network AND what part of your mission they are interested in. While these stereotypical broke Millennials may not have the funds you covet, they certainly have the network.

Generation X - 1965 - 1979

• Responsible for many decades of deplorable fashion like parachute pants, day-glow and baggy B.U.M. Equipment t-shirts, Generation X is also the generation that built the digital age but still proud they don't spend a whole meal focused on their phones. Blackbaud research shows Gen X is planning on increasing their giving in the upcoming year more than any other generation so this is where a huge focus of your future development should still lie.
• This generation is straddling the line when it comes to how to communicate with them and how they give. 62% of them are willing to give via a mobile device (vs only 38% of Boomers) but they still are thinking about more traditional giving, especially planned giving where they've begun to think about their legacy. Make sure your methods of donation are mobile responsive but also make sure your communication strategy includes information about planned and workplace giving.

Baby Boomers - 1946 - 1964

• Those who grew up in the flower-power times of the 60's and 70's are channeling their peace and love in a very capitalistic manner. 41% of money donated to nonprofits last year came from the Boomers so obviously your strategy still needs to focus on them. The good news is that they're not as tech-challenged as you think. 60% of them still get information from your website, and they're using online giving more than ever.
• Direct mail is still king, bringing in 8-9 times more fundraising than online so make sure your addresses and phone numbers are correct. Because of the age of this generation we do unfortunately have to point out that you have make sure you're on top of deceased records as well. As email and online giving continue to grow, don't forget about collecting email addresses and social media information on this generation too.

In summary, all of the generations may have their preferred methods of communication and donating but they are all interconnected. Make sure you know which Millennial and Gen Z supporters are interested in your mission so that they can activate and engage with the Gen X and Boomer supporters who haven't yet found your organization. Continue to make sure your technology is catering to Gen X and the Boomers as more and more of their interactions come online.

Unless you and everyone who supports you will die soon. Then go ahead and disregard all of this and keep on keepin' on.

*For reference on the statistics used in this article and more information about generational giving, check out the Next Generation of American Giving Report here.