Millennials in 2022 are between the ages of 26 to 41 years old. They’re one of the most giving generations if you can understand and reach out to them on their terms. Here are 5 ways to get inside the minds of the millennials who want to change the world.
1. Meet the Millennial Philanthropist
Millennials have an inclusive definition of philanthropy. It’s pretty simple: Anyone who gives their time or talent to build a better society is a philanthropist. This is why 75% of millennials consider themselves philanthropists. They reject the conventional ideas associated with philanthropy. As a result, they’ve broadened the scope for who can be a contributor to the nonprofit sector. Gone are the days when you needed to come from wealth and privilege to be a charitable donor.
The modern millennial philanthropist brings a fresh perspective to the nonprofit sector.
2. Understand Millennial Values
To gain trust and support, nonprofits need to understand what millennials value. Knowing what your audience values helps you deliver content with the right tone.
Millennials are an empowered generation. Now, more than ever, they are the leaders of protests and are standing up for what they believe. They want to take part in the change that’s taking place. They don’t want to feel marketed to; instead, they want to learn and help make the world a better place.
3. Get Digital
Here’s a pro tip: If you want millennials to find you, you need to be where they look.
From Facebook to Twitter, millennials have always had an online community. Social platforms are where they harness their voice and spread ideas. So, if your organization isn’t on any of these platforms, you won’t be able to reach a majority of millennials.
This is why nonprofits should promote their achievements on social media. These internet communities are where a whopping 79% of millennials hang out every day. Text messaging is also crucial to increasing millennial donor engagement. 83% of them open a text within 90 seconds of receiving it!
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4. The Participation Trophy
We all know of the disputed participation trophy. These trophies were a great way to show that life isn’t all about winning. Yet, they also glorified the effort of millennials during their school years. This glorified effort could mislead motivation and promote narcissism. Participation trophies, good or bad, had a major influence on behavior that we need to talk about.
Millennials grew up experiencing praise and pats on the back for showing up. Because of this, they’re used to receiving instant gratification for their efforts.
Nonprofits can validate millennial donors by telling them how their contributions helped. This can be through “Thank You” emails and sharing what their donation did.
5. Communicate Impact
It’s crucial that millennials feel like they’re helping to make a difference. For this reason, sharing impact is critical when speaking to this generation. It’s how engage your donors and commend them on their contributions.
Millennials don’t want to throw their money into some vague donation bucket. They want to know what positive effect their gift had on the nonprofit’s mission. Sharing impact stories has shown higher rates of engagement for these organizations.
The bottom line is that this generation wants you to see and hear them in this new wave of philanthropy. At the end of the day, it all comes down to impact. Show them how they can change the world.
