Happy Sunday and welcome to this week’s issue of The Fuel Tank.

The Who screamed and stammered their way through “Talkin’ ‘bout my generation”. But if you’re a nonprofit today, you better be talking about everyone’s generation.

You’ve undoubtedly heard a lot about Millennials and GenZ, some of it accurate and much of it exaggerated. But when it comes to philanthropy, there are some definite differences as compared to the generations that came before them. As the father of one Millennial and one GenZer, I am, of course, an expert!

But, here’s some interesting tidbits from folks who are more expert than me. This info comes from The Generational Giving Report Volume 2, sponsored by bloomerang and Qgiv.

So what should you do with this intriguing info? That’s what we’re going to discuss today, because if you’re not ahead of the game on this, your organization’s future is quite literally in jeopardy.

Now let’s get you all energized as we head into a new week!

The Challenge Draining Your Nonprofit’s Engine

Are you struggling to connect with younger generations and digital natives? The challenge of reaching new donors is something that challenges the entire sector. But it’s even more of a pronounced issue when addressing the plight of winning over the up and coming generations. These potential supporters often remain untapped due to traditional (and sometimes unbending) fundraising approaches that fail to resonate with their values and communication styles.

How it Might Break Down if Not Addressed

Failing to engage these emerging donor groups can lead to a significant sustainability issue for your nonprofit. As older donor bases begin to dwindle, the inability to attract younger, tech-savvy supporters could stall your fundraising efforts and limit your growth potential. And there’s no guarantee that when the great wealth transfer occurs, that money will go to philanthropy. What is guaranteed is it won’t go to organizations that have not built up trust and engagement with the newer generations, meaning they could miss out on partnering with future leaders.

Igniting Some Ideas to Rev it Up

Strategies to Connect with Younger Donors and Digital Natives

1. Leverage Technology and Social Media: Utilize platforms where younger donors are most active, like Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok. Use these channels not just for posts, but for engaging storytelling, live interactions, and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.

2. Align with Their Values: Younger generations are particularly driven by social justice, environmental issues, and transparency. Clearly communicate how your organization addresses these concerns and offer tangible ways they can contribute to causes they care about.

3. Offer Micro-donation Options: Many younger donors prefer to make smaller, more frequent donations. Introduce micro-donation opportunities through mobile apps or social media integrations, making it easy and appealing for them to contribute regularly.

4. Create Engaging Content: Develop content that educates, entertains, and informs. Think about short, impactful videos, interactive quizzes, and infographics that can be easily shared across digital platforms. Remember, attention spans continue to shrink!

5. Foster Community Involvement: Encourage and facilitate active participation in your projects and campaigns. This can be through volunteer opportunities, ambassador programs, or online forums where they can voice their ideas and feedback. Providing opportunities for non-financial involvement could be a key to securing the support of this demographic.

Energizing Fundraising & Development Pros

As the fundraising landscape evolves, so must our strategies and approaches. Engaging new donor segments not only demands an understanding of their values and communication preferences but also a shift in how we think about donor relationships.

Here’s how you can energize your team and equip them for these modern challenges:

1. Embrace Continuous Learning: Encourage your team to stay updated with the latest digital marketing trends, social media platforms, and donor engagement strategies. Consider regular training sessions or workshops that focus on these areas.

2. Promote a Culture of Innovation: Foster an environment where new ideas are welcomed and tested. Let team members lead pilot projects that target new donor segments or experiment with different communication strategies. This not only engages the team but also sparks creativity and innovation.

3. Measure and Celebrate Success: Track the effectiveness of new strategies and celebrate the wins, no matter how small. Recognizing efforts in engaging new donors can boost morale and encourage ongoing commitment to these new approaches.

4. Encourage Team Feedback: Create channels for your team to provide feedback on what works and what doesn’t. This not only helps refine your strategies but also makes team members feel valued and involved in the organization’s evolution.

A proactive approach that empowers teams to handle modern challenges ensures that your organization remains relevant and resonant with a broader, more diverse audience.

It’s Gonna Be OK - Here’s Proof

Converting Energy Into Action

Practical Steps to Engage New Donor Segments Today

1. Conduct a Social Media Audit: Review your current social media strategies and presence. Are you active on the right platforms? Are your messages resonating with younger audiences? Adjust based on your findings.

2. Develop a Value Proposition: Craft a clear message that outlines why a younger donor should care about your cause. This should be compelling, concise, and aligned with the values and issues that matter to them.

3. Implement Easy Donation Processes: Ensure that donating to your organization is as seamless as possible. Optimize your website and social media for mobile giving and consider partnerships with mobile payment platforms.

By adopting these strategies, you'll not only widen your donor base but also build a foundation for long-term engagement with the next generation of philanthropists.

This Week’s White Hot Spotlight

Bike New York
Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
www.bike.nyc

Summary: Bike New York is a nonprofit organization that promotes cycling as a healthy, sustainable means of transportation and recreation. They offer free bike education programs throughout New York City, empowering people of all ages and abilities to ride confidently and safely.

What Makes Them Different: Through free educational programs, Bike New York has become one of the largest urban cycling education nonprofits in the U.S., directly teaching more than 30,000 New Yorkers each year. Their annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour also raises significant funds to support their programs.

Mission: To empower New Yorkers to transform their lives and their communities through bicycling.

Supporting Story: One of Bike New York’s standout stories is of Sara, a mother of two who hadn’t ridden a bike in over 20 years. After taking part in one of their free adult learn-to-ride programs, Sara gained the confidence and skills to bike safely on city streets. Today, she commutes by bike to work and enjoys weekend rides with her children. Sara’s story is just one example of how Bike New York’s programs help New Yorkers embrace a healthier and more active lifestyle, while reducing their carbon footprint.

Fundraising is never about today. It’s always about the future. Building a better future. Establishing long-term relationships. Developing solutions to solve tomorrow’s problems.

Fundraising is also about adapting. Sometimes on the fly. Staying with a strategy because ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ is a good way to put your nonprofit at risk.

The next generations are the future. That’s a fact. They have some extremely definitive views of giving, partnering and making the world a better place. It’s actually refreshing how committed they are to driving change for the better and making an impact.

The key is to meet them on their terms and find ways to earn their trust, immerse them in your cause, and stoke their emotions over a shared purpose. Hopefully some of the ideas in this week’s issue can help along those lines.

I’d love to hear from all of you about what your organization is doing to address generational differences and capture emerging audiences. Don’t be shy - shoot me a message.

For more information on Philanthropy Fuel and the workshops I offer, visit my website below. They’re designed to help fundraising and development teams optimize their outreach and donor retention while at the same time re-invigorating your team with purpose and passion.

You can also follow me on LinkedIn, if you don’t already, for more fundraising and development content. If you’re following me and not seeing my daily content (Monday - Saturday at 8:10am ET), make sure to click on that notification bell that LinkedIn so nicely offers in our profiles.

Thanks for reading, and here’s to recharging this sector with positive energy!!

By the way, if you’re looking for an affordable CRM geared toward solo or small businesses (or know someone who might be), I use folk CRM to manage my contact list, interactions, email campaigns, marketing analytics and more. The best thing is you can import contacts directly from social media like LinkedIn. If you want to check it out, here’s my link (full disclosure - it’s an affiliate deal so I get a little something if you subscribe through my link):