How many times do we think to ourselves, “How are we going to engage this person?” We may think this during a campaign (annual, capital or comprehensive), we may think this during board recruitment or at any other time during each crazy day at the office. As more and more nonprofit leaders begin to realize how important the engagement of both the younger and older generations is and will become, the more head scratching there seems to be. So how do we engage them?
First, it is critical to always think about who you are trying to engage. Who are they, what do they like, how do they communicate, what do they need from me, is it a match with what I would ask of from them in return? All of these questions are vital! As we have done for so long, we know how to segment groups. We can segment them into current donors or lapsed donors or LYBUNTS or SYBUNTS or young alumni and so on. But what about generations? Have we been segmenting by generation? For the most part, the answer is no. Why not?
We have been taught that it isn’t polite to ask someone’s age. Well, depending on what type of organization you are, you may already have that information at your fingertips without having to ask. Others of you will need to provide the opportunity for your current or prospective donors to give you that coveted information. Does it really matter? If you want to communicate effectively it does! And after all, how can we engage people if we can’t communicate with them?
So how different are the generations really? VERY! The chart below is from The Center on Philanthropy at IU and it shows where the areas of interest are among the different generations. This chart alone will show you that how you communicate your impact in the community and in the world will attract different generations.
Of course, there is a lot we could say about Generational Giving, but for now, it is really time to start thinking about segments in different ways in addition to the traditional. What are you doing to think and act differently?
