Millennials. Tired of hearing that word yet? Well we’re not going anywhere (yes I am a millennial). Defined as the age group born between 1980-1999, this cohort of ‘youngsters’ is quickly growing in influence as they begin to take on more leadership roles at work and increase their spending power.
There are approximately 80 million millennials in the United States, and by 2017, this age group will account for more total charitable donations than any other age group.
The giving trends among millennials show that philanthropy is pervasive in this age group with 93% of millennials donating to charity in 2010. As this age group continues to enhance their wealth through career growth, the total value of these donations will balloon to immense proportions – which is great news!
With such a large and growing sector of donors, it is important for non-profits to understand this demographic and cater their outreach efforts to the preferences of 20-30 year olds. Remember, these young adults grew up with technology and most notably – the internet. So it’s no surprise that the first place they go to educate themselves about a cause is to an organization’s website. It’s also no surprise that they prefer to donate online through a website over any other donation method.
Furthermore, they are all completely glued to their smartphones. Which means they will likely be visiting your site using a mobile device, so make sure your website is mobile responsive and can be easily viewed and navigated using a smartphone’s internet browser.
For more info on mobile responsive and how to build a website for this future generation, check out the “Positive User Experience” section of this article. For an example, try checking out Winspire News on your phone right now.
Below is an infographic with some more great stats on millennial giving trends. Check it out!