Engaging Different Generations In Your Fundraising Activities

When devising a fundraising strategy, it is important to come out with ways to engage people from all generations. However, people of different age groups respond to very different types of mediums and messages. The success of any good fundraising activity, especially crowdfunding, depends on reaching out to the maximum number of possible donors and forming a bond with them.

Let's see what works for the Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and the Millennials.

MATURES:

• WHO ARE THEY: These are people born before 1946 (so aged above 70). In all, they contribute to at least 25% of all charitable donations.
• GIVING HABITS:

• • They usually respond well to personal mails
  • This generation is also big on memorial donations where they want to commemorate the life of a spouse, friend or family member through considerable amounts of donations.

BABY BOOMERS:

• WHO ARE THEY: Born between 1946 and 1964 (aged between 52 and 70). People in this age group are usually at the peak of their professional careers. No wonder then, that they are the highest contributors to charity (almost 45%).
• GIVING HABITS:

• • Most of them donate regularly and are a good target group for monthly and recurring donations.
  • They respond better to direct mails, but more and more are participating in online giving.
  • Many of them also participate regularly in workplace giving programs.

GENERATION X:

• WHO ARE THEY: Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen-Xers are aged between 37 and 52. This generation has been at the center of the digital transition of every aspect of life. Their share in the total giving is lesser than the previous generations.
• GIVING HABITS:
• • This generation is pretty tech-savvy. They engage with the organizations/individuals they support on social media before making the decision about a donation.
  • Most of them are comfortable using smartphones for all their work, including donating.
  • They also participate enthusiastically in workplace giving programs.
  • They like to be responsible consumers and are likely to choose companies/products that support a good cause. Similarly, they like to know the impact of their donations, even when the amount is relatively low.

MILLENNIALS:

• WHO ARE THEY: Sometimes also referred to as Generation Y, millennial are aged between 22 and 37 (born between 1980 and 1995). Though they outnumber all the previous generations, their share in the charitable donations pie is minuscule. This is because most of them are fresh into their careers or at the mid-management levels, affecting their incomes. They share several characteristics with Gen X, especially as consumers and donors.
• GIVING HABITS:

• • They are very comfortable (even prefer) online donations, whether through a website or on a crowdfunding platform.
  • Their favorite causes include children's welfare, animal rights, and health.
  • They are very likely to share their donor experiences and support for an organization/ a cause on social media. Often, such social sharing results in influencing and inspiring other millennial in their network.
  • They are even more concerned by the impact of their donations than the Gen Xers.

We hope this post will help you put your cause in the right manner to people from all generations. A great way to test the hypothesis is to come over to Crowdera and create a free fundraiser. This will also allow you to experiment with other fundraising funds without losing out any of your hard-raised funds.