Millennials—young people born between 1979 and 1993—are likely part of your alumni base. Derrick Feldman and Kari Dunn Saratovsky, in their new book Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement, share what their research shows are the keys to attracting those young donors and volunteers to a cause. The alumni/ae of your school are often a great untapped source of support, and young alumni have the freshest memories of their experience as your students.
Feldman and Saratosky recently headed up a Philanthropy.com Google+ hangout (a very millennial-centric online panel discussion) that included young professionals in not-for-profit organizations that focused on attracting young supporters. Here are a few key points from the hour-long hangout that is available for you to view here.
Millennials take “microactions” that will lead to larger roles and activities, said Feldman, who is Chief Executive of Achieve, a fund-raising company. They will use social media and self-organize groups as advocates. After that, they will move to more formal organizations as leaders. The key is to allow the young people to create the mechanisms—not to dictate to them.
Saratovsky concurred. Millennials don’t look as much at what the institution does; they want to see the impact of their actions, she said.
It’s important to focus on outcomes or how the millennials' support is going to make a difference, rather than focusing on the institution or organization, Feldman said. This rings true for any donor—you need to show how gifts impact the lives of your students.
Saratovsky, principal of KDS Strategies, emphasized that Millennials are a “long-term investment” and organizations need to understand that it will take time to fully engage them. Millennials understand that we live in a diverse, socially connected environment. Millennials see themselves “as global citizens,” she said. They will lead through engagement on a conversational level.
Also joining the panel was Nessa Stoltzfus Barge, Youth Manager at Oxfam America. She said that young people have a “ton of creativity and technological prowess”. Young people also want your feedback and mentoring. “They learn from you and you learn from them,” she said. “Keep them engaged or they will move on!”
Provide the Millennials with the goals, and let them figure out how to get there, said Feldmann. “Tell them, ‘These are the goals posts, you can design the playing field.’”
Philanthropy.com regularly hosts these Google+ hangouts and posts other discussions here. You can also visit philanthropy.com/live.
Additional ISM resources of interest
Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 9 No. 1 Everyone Can Learn From Millennials’ Use of Share Sites
ISM Webinars: Understanding Online Conversations Through Social Media, April 10 and Optimizing Your Online Conversations Through Social Media, April 24
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Vol. 10 No. 1 Communication Through Social Media
Additional resources for ISM Consortium Gold Members
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 36 No. 14 Generational Differences: The New Management Paradigm
To The Point Vol. 16 No. 9 Track Alumni Success and Validate Your School’s Program
