Every generation has its own style and preferences, be it music trends, fashion, career goals and political values. The same extends to their unique giving preferences.
With ever broadening audiences, many nonprofits are finding success employing multi-channel campaigns: campaigns that utilize traditional mail, social media, email and more.
To help focus your efforts, we took a closer look at how different generations are giving differently, both financially and with their time, in 2019.
In today’s post, check out our infographic with must-read stats on 5 distinct generations: Traditionalists (also called the ‘Silent Generation’), Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. Then get 3 practical tips to maximize each sector’s engagement with your cause.
Main Takeaways
Main Takeaways1. All groups volunteering time
A consistent portion of adults across the board (22 to 29%) are volunteering their time to charity in one capacity or another.
Volunteers are the backbone of many organization’s programs and fundraising events. So it’s important to devote sufficient resources to facilitating a positive experience for volunteers.
For tips on getting more volunteers for your event, check out:
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2. Rise of mobile giving
When it comes to shopping, booking and donating, mobile phones are increasingly replacing wallets. Apps like Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay and many others make online payment easy, quick and safe.
As noted in the infographic, donors of all ages are using the internet to donate, and 3 of the 5 generations studied are using mobile devices to browse your website and to give. For a whopping 62 percent of millennials—that’s 23 to 38 year olds that comprise your future donor base—giving by phone is preferred over any other method! So having a website that’s sleek and functional on mobile is paramount.
If you haven’t already, prioritize making your website “mobile responsive”, meaning the site resizes text and images automatically to look great on phones and tablets. Studies show mobile users are 34% more likely to donate when they visit a “responsive” website versus a miniature version of the full site.
3. Traditional mail still brings value
All that said, the stats show traditional mail methods still hold value.
While no longer a significant majority, a large portion of both Boomers (40%) and Traditionalists (52%) are still giving through print campaigns. And as we increasingly use technology all day every day, direct mail can help you stand out from everything crowding your donor’s inbox.
Just as we recommend with any expense, be sure to carefully examine the return on the money and time spent on print campaigns compared to digital.
Know your audience and the method by which they prefer to communicate. Then, segment your efforts so different generations and sectors can be effectively targeted by the most popular method.
New Resource: Event Promotion Handbook
When planning an event, time is money. To meet ambitious fundraising goals, you’ll need a laser-like focus on the best use of your time. And one area of prep worth every second: event promotion.
This pocket-sized guide covers how to foster a sustainable event community, sell more tickets, highlight the event’s biggest “sizzle” and much more – all on a shoestring budget.
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