Annual Giving in a

Millennial World

Millennials enjoying their Homecoming

at Catlin Gabel School reception

Millennials bidding on wine packages

at Catlin Gabel School auction

Presenters:

Joset Grenon, director of development,

Catlin Gabel School

Marianne Falk, annual fund director,

Catlin Gabel School

So you want to engage

Millennials…good news!

“72% of Millennials are eager to join a non-profit

organization and a little over 50% would like to

give monthly to a charitable organization” --2013 Millennial Impact Research Report

Is your institution ready?

MILLENNIALS:

Who and Why?

Age group: • 21-35

Defining characteristics: • Largest and most diverse generation

• Politically progressive

• Least religiously observant

• More inclined to trust in institutions than predecessor generations

• Generalized as coddled, protected, overly confident and self-

centered

• Transforming communities, relieving suffering and pursuing social

change

• Wired to work differently: collaboratively, transparently, interactively,

and entrepreneurially

• Want to affect positive change in their local communities and

around the world.

Giving in a Millennial World

Millennials first support causes they are

passionate about (rather than

institutions), so it’s up to organizations

to inspire them and show them that

their support can make a tangible difference on the wider issue.

The question for nonprofits becomes

then: How can we fully invest in this

generation, immerse them in the

cause, and maximize the impact of

their interest, time, and giving?

WHY Millennials Give They feel inspired by the organization.

How? Stories and photos showing how

they have helped.

There is a specific example of how their

gift will make an impact.

Their gift will be matched. Millennials

want to see how it will make an impact.

A personal ask. A family member,

colleague or friend asks them to give.

There is a fundraising goal specified.

They serve in a board or leadership

capacity.

• Prefer to connect via technology: Social media, email, texting

• Share in micro ways

• Facilitate and rely on peer influence

• Volunteer along a continuum of support

• Give to have an impact

Need-to-know trends

Where do we start? What you already know about the right channels:

Have an up-to-date, well-designed website.

Make it mobile-friendly.

Be present on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Evertrue, Twitter and YouTube.

Follow up with relevant, easy-to-read emails.

What is the real draw for Millennials:

A compelling (but short) message

that inspires them toward impulsive

sharing and contributing. Cross

pollinate across all platforms.

Messages should maintain

“real time relevance,” in that it

connects with and pertains to

their interests in the moment as well as over

time.

Millennial

Impact

Research

Results

2013

CONNECT Millennials prefer to share information about the cause, not the organization

itself.

Attract the mobile-friendly Millennial audience by: a) Crafting mobile-friendly email content that calls readers to action

75 percent of Millennials have used a mobile device to look up causes and organizations to find more

information. The organization helps them or someone they know.

b) Post regularly on social media: Engage early. Studies show Millennials more likely on Instagram,

but they like to move around. Include LinkedIn, Twitter, Evertrue, YouTube and Facebook. Use

images. Use “Social Media Ambassadors.” (Montclair Kimberley Academy)

c) Write news or action-oriented headlines to deliver organizational news

Organizations should think “mobile first” and focus on responsive design: a) Content

b) Navigation easy (one-two clicks)

c) Context around the organization’s work and success stories

Your website should: a) Show your work

b) Demonstrate how potential constituents can help

c) Offer ways people can get involved

You want millennials to want to share your content!

Millennial

Impact

Research

results 2013

HOW Millennials Like to Give

1. ONLINE WEBSITE 84%

2. IN-PERSON 48%

3. SMARTPHONE (MOBILE WEBSITE)

4. MAIL

5. PAYROLL DEDUCTION

6. GROUPON, LIVING SOCIAL, OR OTHER OFFER

7. TEXT

8. OVER THE PHONE 11% (Millennials HATE phone calls)

Email, text, social media Phone

Are events still important?

Examples from

Catlin Gabel School

GiveDay at Catlin Gabel School for alumni

o 120 donors made a gift on November 18, 2014

o Alumni volunteers helped push outreach and spread the message on social media and individual emails

o Message was specific about participation and not dollar amount

o 4 postcards: 2 electronic and 2 physical (focused verbiage around participation and ways to give)

o Alumni board also achieved 100% participation that day

o Overall this put us ahead of where we have been by the end of Nov. for the last two years.

o More than 100 Catlin Gabel alumni spanning 50 years from around the globe showed their generous spirit of giving on November 18 raising over $11,500.

o The message was clear: every alumni gift counts.

“Catlin Gabel thrives because alumni like you play an active role in fostering a sense of community.”

Catlin Gabel Alumni GiveDay

Gifts in Honor of . . .

Successful GiveDay Strategies

o Develop a simple and specific message

o State your goals:

1. dollar amount goal

2. purpose of fundraising

o Define and publicize timeline

o Keep it simple and specific for social media, use a hashtag

o Use all platforms: mail, online (web and social), email, text

Developing a millennial

engagement strategy for

giving—is to provide leadership, service, and

truly transformational

opportunities for Millennials

to affect the direction and impact of the community. Take ACTION!

Final Thought:

Develop a Millennial

Engagement Strategy

THANK YOU!

Questions?

Presenters:

Joset Grenon, director of development,

Catlin Gabel School

grenonj@catlin.edu

Marianne Falk, annual fund director,

Catlin Gabel School

falkm@catlin.edu

Another less cyclical trend in peer fundraising is that Millennials are starting to ask for donations in lieu of gifts for birthdays and other events.

This trend is worth watching (and capitalizing on) as social networks enable and facilitate such giving with greater reach and speed. Overall, close to 83% of respondents made a financial gift to an organization in 2012. What’s

equally important is how they made those donations and how they prefer to give going forward. The overwhelming majority—a combined 84%—gave or wants to give via website, while giving in person came in a distant second at 48%.

THE MILLENNIAL IMPACT REPORT

Research an organization’s perspective, donation

requests that focus on how the gift will benefit

the recipients will garner higher response.

Millennials’ prefer channels (websites and email as

opposed to telemarketing) significantly increases

chances for conversion.

While Millennials don’t give a lot, they do want

to give what they have. One new finding this

is that 52% of respondents said they’d be

interested in monthly giving. This format offers

nonprofits an opportunity to experiment with

soliciting smaller but more regular gifts.

Millennials showed significant interest in using

their network—family and friends—to fundraise

on behalf of causes they were passionate

about. Run/Race/Walk events are the highest

peer fundraising methods by Millennials with

a historic presence within school and college

programs. However, given these events’

cyclical nature, they sometimes swell short-term

participation numbers without always leading to

long-term retention.