Campus & Young Adult Engagement Overview

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

Goals:

• Help young adults (ages 18-24 years old) advance the common good on campus and in their communities

• Help young adults grow as leaders

• Develop an authentic, lasting relationship between young adults and the United Way movement

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Advancing the Common Good by Focusing on Education, Income and Health

Helping Children & Youth Achieve Their Potential

Promoting Financial Stability & Independence

Improving People’s Health

2-1-1Community Involvement

Partnerships

Community InvestmentPublic Policy

Resource Generation

Donor Relationships

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

Today’s college and university students:

• Represent a significant population of young adults in the USA

• Succeed as volunteers and fundraisers, but can do even more with United Way help

• Benefit from quality experiences volunteering, fundraising and with other pro-social activity

• Differ from previous cohorts in important ways

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

Population on campuses:

• In 2005 there were over 29 million 18-24 year olds.

• There were about 14 million undergraduate students in 2005.

• Almost 46% of all 18-24 year olds had completed or were currently enrolled in higher education during 2006.

US Census Bureau, www.census.gov, 2007.

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

Students are successful volunteers and fundraisers:

• In 2005, they volunteered approximately 132 million hours1

• They raised millions of dollars in 2006-2007

–Penn State Dance Marathon raised over $5 million

–FSU Relay for Life raised over $135,000

• Existing resources on campus support their efforts

– infrastructure, advising, funding, etc.

• United Way can add community expertise and an impact perspective to their work

1 Corporation for National and Community Service, “College Students Helping America,” 2006.

2 Independent Sector, Value of Volunteer Time, independentsector.org, 2007.

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

1 Astin, Sax, and Avalos, “Long-term effects of volunteerism during the undergraduate years,” 1999.

2 Independent Sector, Giving and Volunteering in the United States, www.independentsector.org, 2007.

Positive effects on young adults:

• On-campus volunteerism helps develop leadership, work skills, connection to community, pro-social attitudes, and more.1

• Students who volunteer are more likely to give to charities and continue volunteering later in life.2

Increasing the effect:

• Offer opportunities to reduce the activation gap between young adults’ desire to be involved and their actual involvement levels.

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

Young adults in today’s world:

• Communicate in new and fast-paced ways, and they have more access to more outlets for their pro-social activity than ever before

• Are less aware of United Way, but agree more with United Way’s key principles than other cohorts

• Are connecting with other major nonprofits through campus programs (Red Cross has more than 110 chapters; Habitat for Humanity even more)

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

• Community Impact Generate time, talent, and resources for impact

agenda; help youth achieve their potential

• Branding and Marketing Expanded presence for United Way and

partners on campuses and with a new market

• Resource Development Short and long-term opportunities to engage

students, campus, and community supporters

• Talent Management Connection to United Way and partners as

place for internships and employment

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

Approaches to connecting with young people:

• Inspire and be inspired by young adults

• Engage young adults in community work in meaningful ways

• Empower young adults to continue their engagement

Along the way, United Way and partners will better understand, connect with, and support Gen Y

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Campus & Young Adult Engagement

United Way Students in Action – Pilot Project

• Student-led community change organization on campus

• Advised by local United Way and campus host

• Educating, advocating, volunteering and fundraising

• Special projects such as 10,000 Hours, ASB, and Trash to Treasure

• Alumni network for long-term connections

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United Way 10,000 Hours Show

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United Way Students in ActionTrash to Treasures

What it is:

• An end of the year collection of unwanted goods from college students

• Goods are sold at minimal cost to community members

Penn State University T2T 2007:

• 6th PSU Trash to Treasure

• 66 tons of items donated

• $49,001 raised for Centre County United Way

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• Engages young people ages 18-24 from campuses and the work place in United Way’s hurricane recovery work

• In 2007, 320 young people participated

• ¼ of participants became involved through their local UW

• NCL employees participated

• ASB 2007 generated 27,059.5 volunteer hours which credited $496,541.83 of Louisiana’s cost share to FEMA.

• 84% of participants said they were more likely to volunteer in the future post-ASB

United Way Alternative Spring Break

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United Way Alternative Spring Break

ASB Media:

• On MTV’s Amazing Break

• 213 broadcast stories, 29 print articles, and 20 online features

• $315,000: Earned media value of UWA’s video news release

• 8% increase on UW’s website

• 14,000 visitors to the ASB Blog

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Advancing the common good now and into the future

Campus & Young Adult Engagement