For Millennial Donors, Give Them a Cause to Share

The latest nonprofit Millennial Impact Report, based on 2013 online research by Achieve and 14 partners, underscores the promise and challenge of appealing to millennials, those born between 1979 and 1994. How do nonprofits maximize millennial engagement? Per the report, charitable appeals need to tap millennial motives for involvement, with 79% of millennials saying it's about passion for the specific cause (not the institution), 56% citing opportunities for socializing and networking, and 45% seeking enhanced professional expertise. A hefty 72% were interested in joining a nonprofit young professional group, for example. To communicate their message to millennials, nonprofits also need to invest in mobile-friendly communications  (with 85% of millennial respondents owning a smartphone), social media (75% "like," retweet or share content on social media, especially if there are compelling photos), and updated websites catering to millennial usage (51% will go there to connect to social media, 46% will donate and another 46% will read a blog post). The good news is that 83% of millennial respondents reported making a financial gift to an organization, and 52% said they would be interested in monthly giving. So if nonprofits can get it right, they can cultivate a new generation of donors and volunteers. For the full report, go to http://www.themillennialimpact.com/2013research