If you are in the business of charity, you know one of the hottest topics these days is defining the giving differences between generations and how those differences are affecting the world of charitable fundraising and the worthy causes associated with them. We know from the research that generations have different triggers and different ways to engage in issues they care about. While most donors want to know how their money is being used to make a situation better, younger Americans born between 1972 and 1994, for example, have elevated that question as a central reason as to why they give at all (Source: The Next Generation of American Giving by Blackbaud). In fact, a newly-released poll published in Fortune magazine, shows that millennials (those born between 1981 and 1995) are more likely than Gen X'ers (born 1965 to 1980) and Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) to say it matters if American businesses give back to society.
Indeed, younger donors are a different breed. At the United Way of North Central Florida, these younger donors are essential to our ability to improve education, health and the financial stability of every person in our community. Like other United Way groups, Emerging Leaders United, or ELU, is designed to cater to the specific interests of donors who want to see their charity in action. These young givers (24-44 years of age) are a highly-engaged group who not only give a leadership gift of $250 or more, they get involved. They host their own networking events, they take on specific challenges and they engage with others in the United Way family to help create a diverse, well-rounded group of givers who understand that one person, fully committed, can change the outcome for the better. In this issue, you will learn how to get engaged with ELU and build a lifetime of giving back while building your career.
We may see the world differently based on our birth year, but the most important commonality is that we all know nothing changes by itself. It takes us all #LivingUnited.
Deborah V. Bowie, CCE, IOM
President & Chief Executive Officer
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