A few of our staff recently participated in the Association of Fundraising Professionals Shifting Generosity webinar: What Younger Donors Want and How to Respond. As emerging donors themselves, they share their takeaways on redefining generosity.
Emerging donors…
Value change driven by equitable and community-focused efforts.
Young donors are drawn to missions that are specific in their purpose and broad in their reach. They view problem solving through a collective lens. Young donors want to see resources and support get to those who need them in the most dignified way possible. They enjoy it when nonprofits actively engage the community to carry out their mission and purpose.
Trust organizations that are guided by their values.
Young donors watch the behavior of nonprofits. They see beyond the organization’s mission, checking for internal and external alignment. Communication from an organization is not enough; they are checking for organizational integrity from posted content to values in live action. To build trust with emerging donors, there must be a throughline from words to behavior.
Expect digital fluency and rapid recognition of gift(s).
Emerging donors are growing up in a world of instant gratification. Online giving options are vital to engaging younger donors. They want to give easily and be recognized quickly. Swift, meaningful gift recognition encourages young donors with a stronger sense of impact from giving. A smooth online giving process is mutually efficient for both donors and nonprofits.
How to engage emerging donors:
Align development goals with donor interest to elevate community impact.
Knowing your donors is key to any donor cultivation and stewardship. With young donors, focus on areas of interest to pull them in. Young donors are interested in community issues. Find success where your development goals intersect with your passion and desire for community impact.
Use your CRM for donor segmentation strategies.
Use your CRM to its full advantage with segmentation of emerging donors. Develop separate messaging for young donors. Tag young professionals who connect with or get involved in your organization. From cultivation to stewardship, you can activate an additional subset of donors.
Create accessible entry points for donors, such as a young adult advisory board and affordable giving levels.
A huge misconception is that younger donors do not have wealth or value to offer. A key part of broadening a donor base is bringing in all donors, not just those who seem “worth it”. The ROI of engaging young donors has major potential. Get young adults involved in your organization by showing they are wanted – whether on an advisory board or at gift levels that are within reach. Young staff can be the lead or peer connection for emerging donors.