Muhammad Babangida is a committed philanthropist from Nigeria

Tag: Millennials

Recent Changes in Philanthropy Trends

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans gave more to charity than ever before. This was the third year in a row that they had raised more than they had in previous years.

 

Unfortunately, inflation is affecting Americans’ finances and their generosity. In addition, donations to charitable organizations are expected to become scarce due to the recession.

 

If the charitable tendencies of Americans are affected by the current economic situation, it could end a brief but essential surge. In 2021, the country’s donations to philanthropic organizations reached a record $485 billion

 

A survey conducted by the Harris Poll revealed that about 70% of Americans donated their time and money to various charitable organizations in the previous year. Some key trends that can be expected to affect the operations of these organizations include a possible increase in volunteering.

 

Generational Differences

The way a charity receives support may depend on the supporters’ age. For instance, younger Americans are more likely to donate their time and money to charitable organizations. On the other hand, older generations are more likely to cut checks.

 

The breakdown of the data shows that younger Americans are more likely to give their time and money to charitable organizations. For instance, almost half of those aged 44 and below volunteered in the previous year, as opposed to 31% of their elders. They also attend various events supporting the cause.

 

The survey findings suggest that the younger generations are more likely to carry out activism through their older years. In addition, they are also more likely to donate their time and money to in-kind donations. This suggests that their charitable tendencies may reflect more than just their means.

 

If the charitable dollars are not enough to support the operations of charitable organizations, they should start reaching out to the younger generations. This can be done by recruiting grant writers and business development professionals. In addition, they can also encourage individuals to become pro-bono fundraising consultants.

 

Demographic Differences

When it comes to volunteering, men are more likely than women to support organizations that deal with disaster relief, community development, and the military. Conversely, women are more likely to donate their time and money to religious and animal welfare groups.

 

Different reasons explain why people give. For instance, men are more likely to support a cause by making a financial contribution in the past year. On the other hand, women are more likely to support a specific organization due to their desire to give back.

 

The support given by older Americans to human services-focused organizations was much greater than that provided by the younger ones. For instance, over three-quarters of those over 45 gave to these organizations, as opposed to only 16% of those under 45.

 

Younger Americans were more likely to support educational organizations than their elders, who were more likely to donate due to their recent school experiences. Also, parents with children under 18 were more likely to contribute to these groups.

 

The uncertainty caused by the current economic situation can stimulate the creativity of charitable organizations. As a result, they have to shift their focus from their traditional message to appeal to more support.

 

Understanding Trends in Online Fundraising

Americans are very giving as a culture. As technology evolves, it’s become important to target potential donors online. One example of this is the COVID-19 epidemic. Where traditionally many museums and other non-profits hosted big parties to raise money, many of those events have gone online. Organizations that have been light on their feet and quick to adapt have been able to continue to raise funds in spite of social distancing.

 

 Text-to-donate has also grown as a way to reach donors, particularly younger ones. People today are increasingly attached to their mobile phones. Smartphones have become the main place people organize their lives in many ways. And donors are willing to give via text in many cases. Organizations like the Red Cross have utilized this model with great success. Donors text a specific number, usually a 5-digit code. Donors are also willing to give to smaller, local charities they feel personally connected to with this model. Of course, it’s important to make sure donors are aware an organization is able to accept funds this way. Messaging via email or postal mail is a great way to make them aware of this. There are different software programs available to set this up. 

 

 Peer-to-peer fundraising is also a wonderful way for charities to increase online donations. Peer-to-peer means that people from the community ask their friends and family for donations. This is often done as a birthday fundraiser on platforms like Facebook. It’s a great way to keep giving at the forefront of a donor’s minds.

Millennials and Philanthropy

Wondering how to better market your non-profit or social cause to what has been called the most philanthropic generation yet? Read on to find out about the giving trends of millennials and what causes Millennials care about.

Here we have compiled a brief overview of the research on the general outlook of Generation Y on donations and philanthropy.

Millennials are close to running the world

Millennials or Generation Y are those born roughly between 1980 and 2000, succeeded by Generation Z or Centennials. As of now, Millennials constitute the biggest part of the global workforce – they are also the biggest buyers, driving consumption in most economies.

The engagement of Millennials in philanthropy is not the highest right now – Boomers and Matures or “The Silent Generation” make larger donations and greater overall donations annually. Generation Y’s paying capacity is going to increase greatly by 2020, as they mature and inherit more wealth from their predecessors.

Engaging the cautious Millennial in your cause

With millennials contributing to a growing share of the economy, they are an important source for fund-raisers. However, they are cautious investors and usually like to stay very involved in the activities of the organizations they donate to.

The “me me me” generation is perennially connected via social media. Any organization worth its salt in the 21st century needs to have a strong online presence. It adds a great deal of credibility to your brand image. Having 3 or 4 posts per year on your Twitter feed makes it seem like your company is either defunct or not very active. Updating your social media handles on a consistent weekly or even daily basis is essential to keep your audience involved.

Your biggest resource – The Millennial Impact Report by Achieve

The US national research group Achieve releases a comprehensive report on the habits of the Millennials and the causes they invest in. The Millennial Impact Report is a rich source of information on engaging this highly socially conscious generation. The 2016 Impact Report focused mostly on observing how the presidential elections would affect the issues that Millennials are interested in.

The main findings were along these lines:

Millennials don’t believe in the ability of government to bring about any change. The disillusioned generation places more emphasis on their personal responsibility to make the world better for everyone.

Despite willing to take more responsibility for the state of the nation, Millennials are less vocal about their stances than previous generations like the Boomers. Millennials tend to avoid conflict and argument.

Millennials display less allegiance to any particular political party and instead are more supportive of political figures who touched more on the issues they care about.

How all of this translates to your marketing campaign

Possibly because of the nature of social media and the availability of more information to us at any point of time, millennials are at any point aligned with 3 to 5 causes. The initial investment in any cause is small in most cases, the ones who stand out urge individuals to take further action and be more deeply involved. Acknowledgment from peers is highly impactful in helping the process along, and deeper involvement can be incited by making further action beyond the initial investment easier.

Millennials are deeply invested in social issues; this comes from an empathy knowing that they themselves or people close to them could be similarly affected. They are more responsive to cause-based marketing that directly invokes their empathy via human-centric imagery. Make your audience aware of the real issues that and struggles that people face and how your cause can alleviate them.

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