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One Size Does Not Fit All:
Soliciting Donor Populations Through the Generations
Jessica Harrington, Vice President
June 2011

In the last few months, the blogosphere has been buzzing with ways to engage Millennial or Gen Y donors. This is a noble pursuit—the Millennial generation is poised to become a very large philanthropic community of donors. In fact, over half of Gen Ys have already donated to an organization.

Of course, the question is how do organizations keep Millenials engaged without alienating their core group of donors, many of whom fall into the “Mature” or “Silent” generation? And what about the Baby Boomers? Or the Gen Xers?

The key to connecting with diverse generations is communicating with them differently—they expect different things from the nonprofits they support and respond to solicitations in very distinct ways. Organizations need to change their message, their stewardship practices and their fundraising tools when reaching out to people from different age groups.

Mature/Silents (born before 1946)
The Silent generation appreciates your organization’s experience and expertise. They like more formal interactions and communicate best through writing. They also are most comfortable donating by check (over 77% of this generation’s donors have donated by check this year). But, don’t discount the web—more and more of this group are gravitating online, and 25% of them made an online gift this year.

The best messages to reach this audience? Highlight your fiscal accountability (they are Depression babies, after all!), appeal to their sense of duty and illustrate your authority on your mission. While this group isn’t choosing a lot of new causes to support, once they’ve supported your organization they are very loyal and likely to stay. Emphasize their history and dedication to your organization—especially important when prospecting for planned gifts, which is a perfect fundraising product for this generation.

Baby Boomers (born 1946 - 1964)
Baby Boomers question authority more than the older generation, and they look for quality. For nonprofits, this means illustrating impact and outcomes. Boomers also like to know that they are valued and needed; this is why additional acknowledgement and stewardship programs are critical. While Baby Boomers are more comfortable giving by check than on the internet, over one third are making online donations too.

This is the generation that really changed our thinking toward “donor investors”—they want to see the changes they are making happen. The best way to solicit them is to connect the gift to their legacy—a new attitude for Boomers as they begin to retire and enter a new chapter in their lives. While there has been a lot of attention paid to younger generations, your organization shouldn’t ignore the Boomers. Unemployment is lowest among Boomers, and median income is highest with this group. They are great prospects for annual, major and planned gifts.

Gen X (born 1965 - 1980)
Gen Xers are philanthropic—over half have made a donation. They are skeptical, however, and challenge authority. Nonprofits need to illustrate not just the “why” but the “how” and then show the results. Gen Xers like direct and immediate communication—if they email, post or call, they want to hear back from your organization right away. They are also entrepreneurial, which is why microfunding campaigns have worked so well with this generation.

The Gen X group is as comfortable making offline gifts as online gifts. They are experimenting with other donation methods as well—e.g., text-to-give, third-party fundraising and events. A great way to engage Gen Xers is through monthly giving—they like things that are immediate and easy (monthly giving offers both); Gen Xers are pragmatic and appreciate self-sufficiency, so monthly giving is a great option for them.

Gen Y/Millenials (born between 1981 and 1991)
As young as they are, the Millennial generation shouldn’t be discounted! Over 50% of Gen Ys have made a donation—most in response to a personal request from a friend asking for support. This is the wired generation—they grew up knowing that whatever they need, they can get at the push of a button. They prefer to communicate via voice mail, email and text, and are the biggest users of text-to-give.

Millennials want to connect and engage with your organization—give them volunteer opportunities, invite them to events and introduce them to your organization’s leaders. While Millennials are generally giving at low levels, they will promote your organization…if they feel a part of your community. They will evangelize, recruit volunteers and participate in "friendraising".

Of course, there are a few things that your organization must do with any donor, no matter what age. First, build trust. Trust is critical to generating support—with all generations. Second, tell stories. People give to people; telling emotional, compelling stories will boost your response from all donors. Third, get personal. Personal solicitation is still the best way to ask for a gift and the only way to solicit major gifts. There’s no substitute for a face-to-face solicitation. (Although that gift may ultimately come online!)

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.