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Millennials are an exciting target group for fundraising: socially engaged and interested in the burning issues of the day. They are also well educated. This is not reflected in donation figures alone. What do organizations need to do to attract young adults? One thing is clear: the traditional approach will not work.
Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000 (also known as Generation Y), are predestined for the non-profit sector. Finally a generation that is interested in and committed to social issues. Be it environmental protection (climate change), social justice or anti-discrimination (keyword: wokeness). They buy more expensive organic products and water that combats its shortage in developing countries. They are loud, open to discussion and public. Why don't they donate? Millennials want to do good in the world. But they expect something in return.It's not just about age. More importantly, the existing structures and ways of thinking about fundraising do not suit this target group. Many organizations place those affected and the altruistic aid aspect at the center of their communication.
Complex motivations
However, this only covers part of the millennials' motives. If they have no benefit themselves, the cause is usually not sufficiently interesting. In the case of millennials, their needs must be taken into account and already be recognizable when asking for donations. As a practical illustration, we compare a classic TV fundraising gala (target group: baby boomers and older) with an online fundraising event such as "Loot for the World" (target group: millennials and younger). The latter is initiated annually by well-known YouTubers and livestreamers, lasts 32 hours and has raised over two million euros over the years, mind you from a very young target group. Similar to a TV gala, there is a supporting program (e.g. online gaming in the livestream), fundraising projects are presented and, of course, donations are solicited. At the bottom of the screen, a tape runs through with names and donated amounts, and the total donation amount increases in real time.
Focus on the needs of donors
So far, so little new. The difference is in the promotion of the event. The trailers that advertise the TV galas in advance have a clear message focused on those affected, for example "Children need your help, tune in and donate!". "Loot for the World" usually does without this. Issue seven was simply advertised as: "A weekend of fun, gaming, music and more – for a good cause". The focus is on the needs of young donors. The trailers feature the protagonists of the event, who are acclaimed by the target group, and donations are only briefly mentioned at best.
Changed awareness
This may disturb many organizations because the altruistic self-image prevails: it's all about the good cause, the rest is incidental. For young adults, this is reversed. This does not mean that the good cause has no relevance for them, on the contrary: in the comments on Instagram, the initiators are celebrated for their commitment and at the same time the great anticipation of their own fun is emphasized. For young people, the two are not mutually exclusive. The videos in which the projects are presented during the event are also not descriptively dull or fixated on suffering. They are fun and, above all, solution-oriented. Millennials want to make a difference in the world, and they need to be able to see that. Solutions are more important than problems. Millennials need the certainty that they (!) have made a positive contribution to society.
Be part of the event
Can you imagine TV viewers with "Ein Herz für Kinder" flags in their hands? Or viewers with "RTL-Spendenmarathon" baseball caps on their heads? Merchandise is a must-have for the young target group. Hoodies show everyone: "I was there". In this way, the donors become part of the project – in this case, the event. For digital natives, whose peer group no longer consists of a narrowly defined circle of local friends but is divided into many digital bubbles, the donation community is another building block in their fragmented identity. The donation hoodie fulfills an important function: to show this affiliation to the outside world. Young adults are much more concerned about projecting their self-image to the public in order to reflect themselves there. This also applies to prosocial behavior.
Orientation for self-definition
Social or Christian norms are a strong motivator for donations in all generations. However, for millennials, public feedback from their own social environment is much more important. It provides guidance for their own actions and promotes self-definition. In a noisy digital world that competes for attention and in which the individual is in danger of being lost, it is essential to show yourself. NPOs that take the act of donating out of the invisibility of a PayPal transfer and give millennials a Like will themselves receive one.
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