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If You'd Like to Learn More About Engaging With Millennials --
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Generocity - It's a Philadelphia news network focused on social change! Keep an eye on Lansie Sylvia's frequent article
How to Give.
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Engaging Millennials: 4 Ways to Reach Our Next Generation of Donors
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On September 1, 2016,
Stanford University ended their phonathon program, stating that "more and more people tell us they prefer to give in other ways." Undoubtedly, the decision hinged on communication-or lack thereof-with millennials. This generation isn't inclined to picking up a phone number they don't recognize.
Of course, this long-term picture contrasts with a difficult reality: millennials simply aren't making as much in their careers. Despite a higher level of education and an increasingly productive economy after the Great Recession,
30-year-olds today make around the same amount of money as 30-year-olds in 1984. These contradictions put philanthropy in a tense position. We want to engage this growing population of people that can-and will-support our causes, but may find the short-term payoff wanting.
So, what are a few ways to engage with the millennials in our circles, develop a stronger network of young individuals in our city, and help our organizations for the long-term, without diverting our attention too far from achieving our year-end goals? Here are a few brief ideas from millennials I know:
- Where'd that dollar go?: Millennials want to know exactlywhere their gift goes when they support your organization. This could mean accessible financial statements. More so, it's a call to communicate what projects and needs can be engaged right now. My friend Sarah prefers giving toward acute, international relief projects. "It's easier for me to give to a very tangible, specific need." Use spur-of-the-moment projects-a code blue for the homeless shelter or the Red Cross blood shortage-to engage immediate needs. This leads to the next action...
- Tell me what's up!: Communicate with millennials what your organization is accomplishing this month, this week, today. The key here is that millennials aren't looking for the final results, but progress-any progress-in your work. Social media makes it easy to communicate the progress you're making. In fact, Instagram and Facebook are often the preference over email blasts, and definitelyover mailings. "I actually hate e-blasts, and never read them, even from [my favorite local charity]," stated my friend, Katie. Millennials want an update, but just two or three words with an engaging picture from an earlier event is plenty.
- Take a stand: Kara told me, "I like to see when an organization takes a stand on something and doesn't just stay neutral." When you communicate with millennials, make your "enemy" clear. Millennials want to know exactly what we're fighting: poverty, childhood illiteracy, dirty water, cancer. Make it clear what impossible goal you're tackling together; what problem you're taking down with our gift.
I saw this play out on #GivingTuesday at
Make it Right PHL, an upstart social impact group, as one person after another shared which organizations they were supporting and what they had "solved" through their donation. Make sure you have that one-sentence mission statement honed and share it like crazy with millennials.
- Get to know us: "While I support the initiatives of [the organization], it was the relationships I had formed with people there that drew me towards being more involved." A great reflection from Marci Leveillee. Each idea above is centered around one theme-opening the door to engage with millennials. If you want to grow your millennial constituency, start making relationships! You can do this in fancy ways-galas, 5K's, happy hours (especially happy hours!). However, it can be as simple as commenting when someone likes a post on Instagram or shares your news article on Facebook. Don't simply place your pictures, work, and stories online. Use them as a first step to ask millennials questions and growing your daily engagement with this generation.
While each of these concepts is written with millennials in mind, each are just another approach to other well-known, big-picture ideas-share your story, do it ethically, and make sure others see the results. As millennials continue to grow in their careers, our organization's future could come down to that extra moment or two prioritizing these relationships. Of course, these ideas really might keep you from having to pick up that phone for a call!
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