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How to Engage Younger Donors & Supporters
What are the age demographics of your nonprofit’s supporters? The average age of nonprofit donors in the US is 64, which means that you likely have a generous amount of baby boomers serving and donating.
The baby boomer generation has made a huge impact on the nonprofit sector, but is your charity only catering to this age demographic? What is your organization doing to engage younger donors?
According to Define Financial’s 2022 Charitable Giving Report, 84% of millennials give to charities and nonprofits and makeup 5 to 10% of an average charity’s donors. Generation Z makes up about 2% of charitable giving on average with 44% of all Gen Zers donating to charity.
Although these younger age demographics make up a smaller percentage of donors, with generation Z being the lowest giving, creating a strategic plan to engage younger donors is vital to your organization’s lifespan.
Gen Z is the largest generation in US history and is known for being incredibly powerful when deciding to raise money for a cause. This generation has the ability to influence others through digital technologies like never before and is known to be highly motivated to be a part of changing the world.
Millennials had the highest rates of pandemic-related giving with 3 out of 4 donating money during that time period. Millennials also changed the name of the game on how to give.
This generation is the ice bucket challenge, the go-fund-me, and the change.org petition generation. Millennials aren’t donating and volunteering in the traditional way, but instead, embracing new technology-based fundraising platforms.
The younger generations are the future of nonprofits and, quite frankly, have a passion that is a force to be reckoned with. Because of this, engaging younger donors should be a part of your donor strategy.
Do you find yourself googling “how to attract young donors to a non-profit”?
If reaching the younger generations is not in your organization’s wheelhouse, don’t worry. We’re here to help!
Below you’ll find a few ways for your nonprofit to begin engaging the younger demographic of donors in hopes of furthering your cause for years to come!
Keep things online and mobile
A mobile-responsive website design is vital for a broad reach. With mobile driving around one-third of Internet traffic, offering a mobile-friendly experience is seemingly no longer optional.
Think about it; have you ever tried to navigate a website that isn’t mobile friendly?
Navigation of a website that is not mobile friendly can be frustrating and confusing, which often leads to disengagement. Most will leave the original site in search of the same product or service on a more mobile friendly site, leaving the non-mobile friendly site without a sale.
More people, especially young people, are doing their online browsing on smartphones and other mobile devices. Data shows that 25% of Millennials use their phones to complete donations and search for new causes and nonprofits to support.
This makes it more important than ever to ensure your nonprofit’s website contains visually engaging content and can be accessed easily on mobile devices.
Another great way to engage younger donors is by providing a “donate online” option.
Younger generations want to move through things quickly. If you are able to create a clear directive for online giving on the homepage of your nonprofit’s website, you are more likely to engage younger donors.
In order to engage younger donors, include high-quality information and engaging video content. Digital natives want to give, so set your organization and young donors up for success!
Virtual fundraising and online donations are here to stay. Millennials love online giving, especially online giving campaigns. Creating and implementing online giving campaigns alone can be daunting and overwhelming.
In the words of Crystal Hoag, our Sales and Marketing Lead here at FundEasy, fundraising doesn’t have to be hard! We love sharing just how easy fundraising campaigns can be and being a part of that lightbulb moment for people.
With a good fundraising platform, nonprofits can engage younger donors with ease. Ready to create online campaigns that will engage a younger audience? Reach out to us today!
Use social media
On the topic of social media campaigns, let’s talk about engaging younger donors through social media channels!
Share videos
Still confused by TikTok and online platforms that utilize video as a form of sharing information? We suggest trying to get used to it or hiring someone to represent your organization on social media who is!
The fact is, both generation Z and millennials are visually oriented and are accustomed to learning through video.
Confused about how to engage online? We suggest sharing videos of your nonprofit’s work, your events, keynote speeches, volunteer opportunities, updates, and online giving campaigns. Video will reach further than a typical still post and engage younger donors in a more effective way!
Share Volunteer opportunities
Did you know that gen Zr’s are sometimes referred to as “Philanthroteens”? This group has shown a passion for activism in more ways than just donating, they are also willing and ready to volunteer.
26% of 16 to 19-year-olds volunteer on a regular basis, and 21.9% of millennials report that they participate in volunteer work. This means that sharing volunteer opportunities on the homepage of your nonprofit’s website and on social media outlets in ways that will engage younger donors is a great idea!
Utilize peer-to-peer and crowdfunding campaigns
Does your organization rely solely on end-of-year mailers and banquets to raise money each year? If so, you may be missing a whole group of donors.
Because millennials and gen Zr’s are so technologically driven, utilizing fundraising where they can not only donate to a cause they care about, but also share for others to see is a great idea!
Peer-to-peer campaigns are a great option to engage younger donors as they are easily shareable and typically have a lower cost commitment.
Gen Z and millennials are the most connected generations ever due to their heavy usage of digital devices and social media platforms. We can’t say it enough, take advantage of it!
Peer-to-peer campaigns leverage the power of technology and social media to raise large amounts of funds with very little effort or overhead from your organization.
Most people are willing to donate to a peer-to-peer campaign because all that is required is a one-time commitment that is typically just a few dollars.
By launching a peer-to-peer campaign, you are encouraging donors to involve their own personal circles of friends and family. Because these younger generations are inclined to make the world a better place, are always connected to others online, and have interest in donating, it makes them perfect candidates for a targeted peer-to-peer fundraising effort.
To learn more about how peer-to-peer fundraisers work, view our webinar about The Skinny on Peer-to Peer Fundraising.
Crowdfunding campaigns should be heavily considered when working toward trying to engage younger donors. These campaigns allow you to raise small amounts of money from a large number of people.
This type of fundraising taps into the power of many. Crowdfunding for nonprofits allows anyone, anywhere, at any time to donate to your organization. Simply share your campaign online and ask those who believe in your organization to share and help raise money for your cause.
Be Authentic
Because younger generations have grown up in the digital age, they can see right through inauthentic marketing.
An organization should be authentic with marketing by aligning its cause with its fundraising efforts, social media presence, and volunteer opportunities. The actions of your organization will always speak louder than words, so prove to your audience that your cause is worthy of support.
It’s reported that 60% of Millennials say their decision to support a nonprofit with a donation hinges greatly on whether they can see their gift’s impact. We suggest showing them how their money is helping others.
If younger donors are able to see the personal impact their donation is making, they’ll be more likely to donate again in the future.
Being personal, intentional, honest, and authentic will build trust that is likely to engage younger donors.
Give young supporters a voice in your organization
There are young people who are unable to donate monetarily, but are always willing to donate their time! If your organization is having a hard time creating engaging social media content, a great idea would be to put them in charge of your social media!
Younger generations want to help and often see volunteering as a way to refine their skills. Let them build their resume while making a difference!
Millennial and gen Z representation on your boards and leadership teams are a great way to engage younger donors. Representation matters and goes a long way; if young people see others their age volunteering and giving, they are more likely to!
If you do include younger generations on your boards and leadership teams, be sure to give them a voice! Hearing the ideas of younger volunteers could bring a whole new life to your organization.
Empowering young people to really help will go a long way. They may have ideas to host unique, fun events - do it. Young people attract other young people - and you’ll have a lot of fun doing it!
Communicate intentionally
Like with any other donor, communication is vital! Young donors want to feel just as valued as your oldest and highest donor is valued and respected. Although, communication with younger donors may look different than with other older donors.
Share regular updates
Regular updates are important to engage donors of any age. A great way to communicate updates with young donors is via email.
Young donors still check their email, although they are most likely to read the email on their mobile devices. Because of this, using email marketing campaigns to communicate with these audiences is a great idea, as long as you make sure the layout is mobile-friendly.
Oh, and it’s in your best interest to cultivate emails with a short and concise copy. Younger generations move fast and prefer quick information. Share important information in a way that will not overwhelm younger generations so much that they do not read the entire body of the email.
Personalize communications
As we mentioned earlier, young donors want to be treated as they are any other type of donor. This means that just like with any other donor, a personal letter or email can go a long way!
Utilizing a CRM and/or fundraising platform that allows you to personalize emails is a great idea. Any person, no matter what age, is more likely to give and continue to support if they feel seen and valued.
Saying thank you in a powerful and personal way, like a handwritten note of gratitude, helps keep your organization top of mind for your donors.
A little effort goes a long way! Something like a personalized, handwritten note can trigger long-lasting feelings of joy and goodwill toward your organization.
Thank supporters
We mention this often but saying thank you is quite possibly the most important piece to donor retention out there.
Basically, although very cut and dry, consider it a choice between saying “thank you” to your donors, or saying “goodbye” to them. People aren’t giving because they need to throw money away, they are giving because they believe in your organization.
Thank them and let them know what their money did to help further your cause! Young donors want to know how they were a part of making a difference.
People crave feelings of social belonging and recognition. Expressions of gratitude help them feel those feelings and in return, causes them to feel a connection with your organization.
Saying thank you lets any age donor know that they are donating to real people and real causes. This is key to helping them feel that their money is put to good use and that their gift wasn’t taken for granted.
In Closing
If your organization desires longevity and the ability to make a difference for years to come, beginning to engage younger donors is the partial key to success. Millennials and Generation Z are ready to be a part of the change in the world, but are you ready to empower them?
Our fundraising platforms are a great way to engage younger donors via social media. Reach out if you are ready for your organization to reach beyond supportive friends and family!
If you'd like to learn more about our Peer-to-peer, Attendance, or Crowdfunding products, please reach out! We'd love to chat.
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Madison Hull
This article was inspired by our customers and written to encourage your fundraising efforts. Although we work with nonprofits and events daily, our team members are not Event Consultants. We encourage you to consult with your event consultant, executive team, and/or affiliate organization before making any major changes to your events.