Tag Archives: millennials

YOLO? Make it count!

Posted on by
Reply
Share

Back when I was in high school I first heard the slang term “LOL” and at that time I had no idea of the path that confusing slang would pave. Since then I have seen a wide variety of sentence abbreviations that was inspired from a simple “LOL.” However, there is one that has recently stood out more than the others.

YOLO. Let me tell you a little about “YOLO.” This refers to the saying “you only live once.”  I find that my peers, Millennials, tend to use this saying as an excuse or reason to make a risky decision that is often times regretful. To prove my point I’ll just search #YOLO on Twitter and find one of the first tweets that comes up.

“Gonna win the lotto and recklessly spend it ALL at the cosino #YOLO my mums face when I told her LOOOOL She obviously can’t take jokes.”

This is a perfect example of how my fellow Millennials use this phrase. Let me stop you right now before you either roll your eyes or LOL at that tweet because I want to share my thoughts with you regarding this new attitude.

If we only live once, why would we want to do something reckless? Why wouldn’t we want to do something great with our lives? If everyone only lives once then why not help someone’s life who isn’t going well? Let’s make the most of our lives by helping others rather than doing something potentially wreckless.

I am not saying that we should not use this saying. It is just that I have yet to see “YOLO” used in a positive way. According to an article by Matt Miller there were 80 million Millennials born between 1976 and 2001. 80 million Millennials! This means there are tons of us out there and we have the potential to transform used phrase and make it into something good and positive.

But how do you get Millennials started? I would recommend starting where “YOLO” started, the Internet. If you don’t have Twitter or a Facebook page yet get one. Many people feel like they are doing charity or volunteer work just by liking a page or following someone on Twitter. Take advantage of that. Once you have those followers post, post, and post! Tell them about your big event coming up or maybe a story involving a family in need. You need to keep their interest and attention and that means keeping up with the latest social media trends. For example, give them a place to check-in at so they can post pictures and upload it all to their Facebook to share it with their friends. Then their friends will get curious about what it is they are doing and thus the butterfly effect.

Here are some examples of how Millennials are taking action around the world.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/stories/spotlight.jsp?id=55

http://www.fastcompany.com/1686624/meet-five-amazing-millennials-who-have-already-changed-world

Take the first step in starting a chain reaction of new volunteers. 21% of Millennials have already started the volunteering movement which means there is still potential for 79%  (VolunteeringsInAmercia.gov) to get involved.  Why not start today…YOLO. 

MDS11: In Review

Posted on by
Reply
Share

By Hannah Staton, Public Relations and Social Media Assistant, Achieve

On June 22, 2011, Achieve, JGA and the Case Foundation hosted the first ever Millennial Donor Summit.  The Summit was a virtual conference dedicated to understanding the role the millennial generation will play – and already are playing – in the future of philanthropy.  The Summit covered many of the themes represented in the 2011 Millennial Donor Report published by Achieve and JGA.

The Millennial Donor Summit was a huge success. Virtual conferences are still experimental, and with so many speakers and attendees scattered throughout the country, we never could have hoped for the overwhelming success and response the Summit received. This is no small part because of our speakers and exhibitors, who gave absolutely tremendous presentations and provided many of our attendees the opportunity to ask questions and receive advice personally.

If you missed any of the MDS11 coverage, we had some nonprofit superstars live blogging the event. Below is a summary of some really great information shared during the summit:

On behalf of Achieve, JGA and the Case Foundation, I want to thank everyone who contributed to MDS11. The social media, Twitter chat, conference chat rooms and discussions sections were so active and there was an impressive amount of content and commenting going around. MDS11 was proof people don’t have to meet in person to build real communities.

Advice for Engaging Millennials – An Interview with Achieve and the Case Foundation

Posted on by
2
Share

Millennials are part of a unique generation that is young, tech savvy and well-educated they are also one of the most active when it comes to donating and volunteering.

Kari Saratovsky of the Case Foundation and Derrick Feldmann of Achieve discuss the results of the new 2011 Millennial Donor Research and what it reveals about this generation. This interview focuses on how nonprofits can more effectively engage millennials through their giving and volunteerism programs and overall communication strategies.

Click here to watch the complete interview. 
To download the 2011 Millennial Donor Research report go to: www.millennialdonors.com

Giving Circles Key Tool for Women and Millennials

Posted on by
3
Share

By Angela White, Senior Consultant and Chief Operating Officer, JGA

Over the past decade, the concept of a giving circle has established itself as a growing and effective philanthropic trend among all wealth levels and backgrounds. The social aspects of giving circles, however, also make them uniquely suited for two rising philanthropic audiences – women and Millennials.

A 2009 report on giving circles, demonstrated their effectiveness showing that giving circle members give more, give more strategically, and are more knowledgeable about nonprofits in their communities. 

[You can download the full report and access tools to learn how to set up your own giving circle from start to finish at The Giving Circles Knowledge Center, hosted by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers.]

But it is their unique ability to combine social interaction and peer-to-peer fundraising that makes giving circles stand out as a trend for the future. 

In my work in women’s philanthropy and in JGA’s ongoing research on millennial donors, we have seen evidence that both of these audiences look for the ability to combine their giving decisions with their interactions within their community, family and friends. Both audiences seek to make philanthropy a social activity.

For example, in our 2011 Millennial Donors study with our partner Achieve, we found that Millennials want to engage with friends and family in volunteering, are motivated to give by friend or peer endorsement and are more likely to trust an organization if their friends or family endorse it.

I’ve also seen some interesting examples of giving circles working to successfully engage women donors.

First, there is the High Water Women group.  Founded in 2005 by senior-level women in the hedge fund industry, High Water Women provides funding to nonprofit partners while also sharing its members’ financial expertise with the nonprofits.  

Looking at the next generation of female donors, check out GirlUP.  GirlUp gives girls in the US the opportunity to raise money for U.N. programs that reach girls in other countries.

As you can see, giving circles are already being employed effectively with women and girls, but what about the Millennials?

It may be a case of lack of education. While in theory giving circles should lend themselves well to young donors who seek socialization with their giving, our research shows that 50% of Millennials were uncertain about the role of a giving circle.

To me this means we have a wonderful opportunity to engage Millennials in giving circles once we first show them how Giving circles can help them combine fun and philanthropy.

Do you have any examples of successful giving circles for women or Millennials you can share?

3 Things Your Nonprofit Must Know About Millennials

Posted on by
3
Share

By Jessica Journey

As a millennial in the nonprofit sector, I’m often asked to offer insights into the perspective of my peer group. Not assuming that my personal preferences are indicative of an entire generation, I find myself looking for research on millennials. Recently, I’ve read:

Each work attempts to explain the millennial mindset. Here are some critical learnings that I wanted to share with you:

We, as Millennials, are relationship-oriented. That’s why we love technology – it helps us connect with people we care about. So, don’t expect to recruit us as volunteers or solicit us as donors by simplistic attempts through social media. Sure, meet us where we are, but don’t forget to be formally introduced to us – through someone we know. We trust the advice, referrals, and endorsements of our family and friends. Remember that we value people!

We, as Millennials, are accustomed to accelerated rates of change. We embrace transformation as a fact of life. That’s why we love trends – they help us keep up with what’s relevant. So, don’t expect to convince us that your cause is compelling with a quick story and a statistic. We need to know that what you are doing matters right now and that you offer a contemporary solution to complex social problems. Remember that we value relevancy!

We, as Millennials, are optimistic achievers. We want to make the world a better place, and we think we are capable of making it happen. That’s why we love getting involved – it helps us to use our skills to benefit others. So, don’t expect us to sit back and wait for an invitation from your organization. We’ll just volunteer with another organization, or we’ll start our own initiative. Either your nonprofit will benefit from our commitment to service or someone else will! Remember that we value postive impact.

The Millennial Generation is on track to becoming the most influential generation the United States has ever seen. Is your nonprofit ready for us?