By Jayme F. Moore, CPA
Accounting & Auditing Director
Young people who are members of the emerging Generation Z demographic are showing strong signs of activism, and future-looking nonprofits would do well to cultivate their interest and their loyalty now. This could be a demographic group that will provide strong financial support to nonprofits whose missions appeal to them down the road.
Demographers generally think of Gen Z as young people born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s. They are just starting their careers or are still in school, so they are not able to make large financial contributions just yet. But market research shows that approximately 44% of Gen Zers have donated to charity, and their average donations top out at $341 per year.
Activist digital natives
Gen Z members may be more driven to pursue social impact than earlier generations at their age, as they are hyperaware of what’s going on both in the world and their own communities.
Many in this demographic volunteer or perform paid work for politically oriented causes that affect their own lives, such as gun control, climate change and racial justice. Consider, for example, the teenagers and young adults who mobilized ongoing gun control campaigns in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Or the Black Lives Matter protests that have been largely led by young adults.
As digital natives immersed in social media, Gen Zers make good peer-to-peer fundraisers. You might be able to harness the energy of this generation by sponsoring fun runs and similar events that require participants to solicit funds from friends and family members.
Tailor content to their interests
To reach Gen Z, forget Facebook and even Twitter. Teens and young adults favor more immediate platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, so you may need to develop different types of content for these more visual channels. The good news is that younger people tend to be more receptive to digital ads than their parents. But they expect outreach to be narrowly tailored to their interests, so be sure you rely on good data.
Members of Gen Z usually want to be more involved in charitable causes than earlier generations. They may not be satisfied with making one-time donations to nonprofits they barely know. To provide young adults with hands-on roles, create volunteer programs and consider setting up a junior board of directors.
Potential dividends
Although most young adults aren’t able to make major donations now, you should regard this group as your nonprofit’s future. Cultivating their support and loyalty can pay big dividends down the road.
