Managing the Gap: Meeting Gen Xers and Millennials Where They're At Melissa S. Brown Melissa S. Brown & Associates

Learning Objectives Who gives now and on average, how much? What attracts Gens X, Y (Millennial) and Z (now in college) as donors? What can you do to engage more members as donors?

$ $ To Increase Giving Increase the percentage of members who give Managing the Gap Increase the percentage of members who give Retain existing member donors Increase the average amount per donor Do all of the above $ $

Who gives?

Share of total individual dollars given by income range Circa 2015 Managing the Gap Source: MSBrown LLC based on IRS tax returns (itemizers) and Philanthropy Panel Study (others)

Generations - ICYMI X Y (aka Millennial) Born 1965 – 1980 (or so) Managing the Gap X Born 1965 – 1980 (or so) Now about ages 38 to 53 Mostly in or entering “peak earning” years Y (aka Millennial) Born 1980 (or so) – 1995 (some say) Now about ages 22 to 38 ½ college/early jobs (20s?) and ½ “established” (home, partner job)

Share of total individual dollars given Managing the Gap

Elders give more and more often Managing the Gap

What drives giving?

What “predicts” giving, all else being equal? Managing the Gap What “predicts” giving, all else being equal? Finishing higher education Income > financial needs Married LEAST likely donor in U.S. is a single guy Larger social networks Religious participation NOT “Bowling Alone” Volunteering

Why don’t Gens X and Y give more? Managing the Gap Why don’t Gens X and Y give more?

Managing the Gap Xers seek work Ys seek work Source: John Burns and Chris Porter, Big Shifts Ahead : Demographic Clarity for Business, 2016. Kindle location 842

Contemporary financial priorities Managing the Gap Contemporary financial priorities

What is on the upside? Commitment to better world. Managing the Gap Commitment to better world. High levels of education. More adults choosing not to have kids. Tend to be more likely to be donors. Much more likely to make planned gifts. Fewer moves. More time in a community  more giving. The world is interconnected.

Managing the Gap

Make giving Family friendly for Xers and some Ys Easy to do Managing the Gap Family friendly for Xers and some Ys Easy to do Part of a “play” or “future” category Budget-friendly Fun

What can you do? Managing the Gap __ Easier online interface __ Offer family-based incentives or benefits __ Provide career or re-location benefits __ Promote a monthly giving program __ Create a game or competition / Fun __ Other:

Ask for advice, Offer knowledge, Report impact Managing the Gap Ask for advice, Offer knowledge, Report impact What are key issues for your fraternity? How can alumni members help? What could they learn from current programs or circumstances? How will a gift of $100 or $1,000 make a difference?

Possible tools Managing the Gap Short surveys genuinely inviting advice for a time-specific information need YouTube of terrific experience associated with your organization Video or Instagram or other narrative for “Day in the Life of…” Postcards with photos, story, and push to website for follow-up And…..

What can you do? To identify issues appropriate for alumni engagement? Managing the Gap To identify issues appropriate for alumni engagement? To invite participation in discussion and report results?

Retention = Trust Phone calls to say thank you Managing the Gap Retention = Trust Phone calls to say thank you Report impact based on lives changed Transparency Which means ______________________ ___________________________________ _____________________________

Communications that boost retention Managing the Gap Communications that boost retention Personalized, not just in address but using other fields Since your gift in [Month Year] for [purpose or fund], your fraternity has ____. “You” language. Make donors the heroes. Stories that link impact data to people, faces, names.

What to do for retention? Managing the Gap Good practices for retention

To raise average gift amount Managing the Gap To raise average gift amount Thank, Educate, Engage, Ask Report impact Connect gift amount with result Ask for increases Recency, Frequency, Monetary (total $) Structure engagement and asks for top 20% Ask monthly givers for annual increase

Multi-channel Direct mail lives! Managing the Gap Direct mail lives! Email open rates have been dropping. Online giving is still < 10% of total Fastest growing category. Common for mailed request to generate online gift. Make online giving very easy and quick.

What can you do? Key take-aways ___________________________________ Managing the Gap Key take-aways ___________________________________ First steps ___________________________________

Learning Objectives √ √ √ ___Who gives now and on average, how much? ___ What attracts Gens X, Y (Millennial) and Z (now in college) as donors? ___ What can you do to engage more members as donors? √ √ √

Thank you!