Non-Profit

How your non-profit can successfully engage with Millennials and Generation Z

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How can a non-profit engage with Millennials and Generation Z. These two generations are quickly gaining influence over non-profits, as they outpace their older peers as donors. Both generations are attracted to non-profits because of the social issues they care about and their desire to make a difference in the world. However, Millennials and Generation Z go to great lengths to make educated decisions about who will receive their donation. In this regard, how does a non-profit make a meaningful connection with Millennials and Generation Z? What will engage these generations in your organization and the cause you represent? It may seem daunting, but there are several effective ways to engage the younger generations.

 

How to engage Millennials and Generation Z

 

Establish a strong online presence

Baby Boomers and Generation X may have established the technology boom that we live in today, but it’s the younger generation who grew up with it as a staple of their lives. Millennials and Generation Z build their lives around being connected, and information found on the internet and social media factors into their decision making. A strong online presence will help maintain your non-profit’s relationship with Millennials and Generation Z, particularly because they will be looking for up-to-date information about you online that is compelling, visual and shareable. Since 97% of Millennials in the U.S. own a smartphone, it’s important that they are not only able to find you on their phones, but able to donate and connect with you as well.

 

Seek to engage, not just inform

One way that Millennials and Generation Z differ from older generations is that they seek engagement, not just an opportunity to donate. It’s important to keep in mind that they don’t want to just give to you, they want to give money and time to the causes they care about through you. In this regard, look for opportunities to use campaigns or social media to call Millennials and Generation Z to action. Whether you ask them to share a project or event on their social channels, or ask them to volunteer, if you show enthusiasm for their involvement with your non-profit, they will respond favorably.

 

Show authenticity

To earn the trust of Millennials and Generation Z, your non-profit will have to demonstrate authenticity through your communication with them. To start, these two generations are suspicious of slick marketing. You will need to communicate with this younger generation using plain language that highlights your non-profit’s mission and how their support can make a difference. In addition, posting an annual report or sending them a newsletter won’t win them over. They expect you to share personal stories, with photos and videos of real-life people and places that demonstrates the impact of donations on the success of your projects.

 

Be open and transparent with your finances

In an era of fake news and corporate scandal, transparency is important for any non-profit, but especially so if you seek to engage Millennials and Generation Z. These generations will thoroughly research non-profits and seek the opinion of their peers before committing to an organization financially. To build trust with Millennials and Generation Z, show them your budget using transparency software. Questica’s OpenBook connects with PowerPlan, our non-profit budgeting solution to bring your budget to life with charts and graphs, descriptive text and informational pop-ups. They will appreciate how easy it is to see exactly where their money is going and the outcome of their donations.

 

Making a meaningful connection with Millennials and Generation Z is simple if your strategy takes into account what is unique about them. It’s important to know the younger generation don’t want to just give to you, they want to support the causes they care about through you. To engage with Millennials and Generation Z, your non-profit will require a strong online presence that’s so fundamental to their lifestyle, but skip the slick marketing campaigns for real-life personal stories that provides insight into the work of your non-profit. By sharing your financial information with data visualization software, Millennials and Generation Z can deep dive into your budget to see how their donations can have a significant impact. As a result, you will win their trust and possibly convince them to become long-term donors.

 

About Questica

 

PowerPlan is Questica’s dynamic non-profit budgeting solution that helps your organization run operating, salary and capital budgets with accuracy and efficiency. PowerPlan has everything you need in one place to develop, track, monitor and adjust your budget, plus generate custom reports and create what-if scenarios. Imagine no longer having to enter data into error-prone Excel spreadsheets, and having time to analyze and plan for the budget. PowerPlan can integrate with your financial, HR and/or payroll system. In addition, Questica’s OpenBook transparency and data visualization software makes sharing financial information effortless. Your board members and stakeholders will have a better understanding of your organization’s goals when the budget is brilliantly visualized with descriptive text, informational pop-ups, charts and tables. To learn more about PowerPlan, Questica’s non-profit budgeting solution, and how we can help you manage the budget with confidence – watch a product video, read a case study or request a demo today!

 

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