Tag Archives: fundraising

Getting Millennials to Give: Two Fundraising Practices and Potential for Growth


Posted by ajlovesya

I was recently asked by a reporter from the Chronicle of Philanthropy if I knew of any charities that have been successful in getting millenial donations. I immediately thought of mobile giving campaigns, but I realized that many of those are sparked by urgency (i.e. Haiti, Chile) and are not necessarily used for long term giving.

Although I couldn’t think of charities who have reported engaging a large number of young people in their fundraising efforts, I am aware of two strategies where young people do have a hand in giving and getting money, one that is charity directed, another that is millenial directed each with unique benefits and challenges

1. Young Professionals Groups: I have written about these types of groups before as a form of professional development for young nonprofit employees. However at some organizations these groups act as fundraising power houses, planning events and donating money on their own. The Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Vanguard group, which requires $150 to join, has fundraising events throughout the year, with one event in 2008 raising $16,000. The Echoing Green Social Investment Council for example, raises enough to support about two or three fellows (about $90,000) a year and requires members to donate at least $1,000 a year and help plan and coordinate fundraising events.

  • When it comes to professional groups, you already have young people who, at the very least, are interested in your cause and organization. However, does engagement move beyond being in that group? Are opportunities for additional leadership available–such as board membership? How well integrated are these groups into the organization in general? How long does participation last?

2. Giving Circles: In its simplest form we see these all the time on college campuses–students getting together to raise money for a cause and organization they believe in. Sometimes the amounts raised can be anywhere from a few hundred to several million over time,  growing from a small campus club event to an all school encompassing fundraising drive.   Additionally, more sophisticated groups are emerging all of the time like the Asia NextGen Giving Circle in NYC which in 2008 gave $30,000 to the YWCA of Queens in support of their Women to Work program for English Language Learners.

  • When it comes to giving circles, the amount of initiative required to start and run a circle indicates a commitment to philanthropy and collective giving (and how, perhaps, it is the collective aspect that makes it more interesting).  How do they select an organization? How do they determine how much to raise and what are their methods? Why do they start giving circles in the first place?

I think once we start exploring the motivations of young people involved in giving in these two forms in terms of why they join, how much they give, who they give to, we can better understand how to reach them.   I also cant help but notice the lack of technology in these forms of getting and giving donations. They arent blowing up facebook or twitter with their work and requests for money, and in fact seem to employ more traditional forms of solicitation, in particular word of mouth.

Do you know of any unique approaches to getting millenial donations or cultivating young people as potential donors? Any successful or not so successful stories?  What do you think of these two approaches?

**Photo credit: California Tenth Amendment Center


The Dos and Donts of Canvassing


Posted by ajlovesya

We’ve all seen them: (mostly) young people stopping strangers on the street to solicit money for a relatively well known charity. I usually admire these people: they are going up to random people and asking them to join their cause in a short amount of time which is challenging.

However, like any other fundraising practice there are good and bad ways to do this. In NYC I have had far too many bad encounters with canvassers. If you are raising money for a well known organization or your local elementary school, keep in mind these dos and donts.

DONTs:

  • Do not interrupt me: If I am on the phone or seem otherwise engaged, interrupting me is rude not just to me but also to the person I am talking to. Even when raising money basic manners apply.
  • Do not use a pet name: Sweetie, baby, chocolate (as I was called a few days ago) are inappropriate and the intellectual in me wants to discuss the problematic sexist overtones in such language.
  • Do not give me attitude: In general I do not give money to organizations that solicit on the street. However, if I politely say “I’m sorry I am not interested” sucking your teeth or giving me a disgusted look will certainly not change my mind.
  • Do not follow me: If I have not stopped to engage you that, that does not give you the right to follow me down the street talking to me. Again, basic manners still matter.

DOs:

  • Do have some sort of logo: A logo (whether on stationery, t-shirts, caps, etc) is important because it implies legitimacy and helps people remember and recognize your brand. Even if you are working for an organization that is fairly well known, the absence of some kind of brand image will look suspicious.
  • Do know what you are talking about: When you fumble over basic facts or cant answer essential questions (how many people does your organization serve and how?) it makes people not trust you. Know the facts and be able to tell people why they matter.
  • Do have a story to tell: While impressive stats are great, do you love this organization? Do you know anyone who has been touched by the organization’s work? Faces behind the numbers are always a good sell.
  • Do have something to give me: A pamphlet? Card? Anything to facilitate follow up or research on your organization at my own pace is helpful.

Reflecting on Social Media Fundraising


Posted by ajlovesya

A few weeks ago I attended the New York City Twestival—an international fundraising event on behalf of charity:water that took place in over 160 cities around the world, sparked by word-of-mouth marketing via twitter. In NYC we raised over $24,000 enough for 5 wells that will serve 200 people for 20 years. That’s truly remarkable. While the event was a success there is still much to think about.

Lessons Learned:

Small donations can have a huge impact: We learned this during the Obama campaign but it certainly was clear during the twestival where donations of $20, $40, and $60 amounted to $24,000.

Tangible goals are great motivators: People like seeing the results of their work. Knowing that there is an end goal excites people.

Volunteers and great planning are still important: Online marketing and fundraising were only half the process.  All of the twestivals were coordinated by volunteers and each city had a different event to cater to local interests.

Questions raised:

How are those relationships sustained and developed? I didn’t get any significant follow up and am wondering how (if at all) my connection to the organization and my impressions of the event are being measured.

Are people giving to the cause or giving because of the medium? While at the event there was little talk of charity:water. In fact there was little talk of anything given the loud music, photo opps, and alcohol. The ease of donating and the fun that was promoted may have meant more than the cause itself.

Is social media propelling a new kind of donor? The long term investment aspect of fundraising is pushed aside in favor of immediate results and small amounts of requested giving.  Perhaps much of the follow up and presentation of a “worthy cause” is not necessary. Is this kind of event similar to parties where the money happens to go to a worthy cause but the emphasis is really on the socializing and having a good time?

Moving forward:

For all of the discussions about the ease and fun of social media, it is still time intensive and raises many questions. Instead of using it as sole means of raising money, it may work well with smaller, targeted needs used in conjunction with other methods of fundraising.

Have you had any experience raising money using social media ? Attend another twestival? Please share your thoughts!


Non-Profit Crisis: It's More than Leadership


Posted by ajlovesya

With baby boomers approaching retirement, I have come across many articles offering advice on what to do to prepare for the next generation leaders. The advice focuses on ways to make the field more appealing to young people: offer more mentorships, allow for the usage of social media, create more opportunities for advancement, and encourage a laid back environment. However, all of this ignores that nonprofits face an even greater crisis aside from the impending shift in leadership: its public perception.

Even though I am entering the world of fundraising I find it odd that the existence of a sector that provides vital necessities to the public is predicated on whether or not people deem their cause worthy that year. The money issue is remarkably complex yet the lack of funding to support the people who bring services to the public (i.e. non profit employees) is appalling especially when we realize that the conditions many employees endure funders would not tolerate for themselves.

Additionally, a hierarchy of needs is constantly being made by the public in a way that inadvertently puts people and issues against each other: how can we worry about the environment when there are children to feed? How can we worry about children in Harlem when there are children in Africa that need an education? Why spend money on HIV/AIDs when child birth is a major killer? As a result nonprofits have to constantly prove their worth to a society that doesn’t realize where they would be without nonprofits in the first place. Even though I believe that is plenty of money to go around and fund every cause, increasing pressure for nonprofits to have a quantifiable bottom line results in a competition for sources.

To make matters worse, the work done by nonprofits is simply not taken seriously. For example, throughout my time last year as program coordinator where I provided leadership training to teens, I can’t tell you how many times people said, “Awww that’s nice.” As I have vented here, not only am I professional trying to master my work but also the work I do is vital to this country’s well being. Is not education the great equalizer? Do we not believe that education in addition to caring and concerned adults can change the life of a troubled teen? Then why, when I explain what I do I get “Awww, that’s nice.” You would never say that to a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, or any other profession because they command respect. Why is education any different?

The belief the nonprofits are easy or not as important as for profits is seen in people’s approach to the field in general. Why do people believe that starting a nonprofit is easier than starting a for-profit? Why do people switch to nonprofit careers because they want something that isn’t stressful? Even last year when I asked my peers what they wanted to do, too many said they would teach or work at a nonprofit until “they found something real to do.” And finally, why aren’t the trends of the nonprofit field–with over $600 billion in assets and over 7.1% of the population employed– featured prominently in the pages of our newspapers? I’ll learn all about real estate, cars, and art in the New York Times, but you won’t tell me trends in volunteering and donating? We are taken for granted and this is evident in how many of us are funded, treated, and discussed.

The ultimate goal of non profits should be to attract as many people as possible to social justice work. However, this cannot be done if we aren’t respected or funded adequately. Many nonprofits were created by young people with a passion for change, helping those in need and enhancing the cultural, spiritual, and political life of this country. In order to continue with this we need to reevaluate how we do business.

1. We must generate our own revenue: Museums do this via membership and entry fees, for example. However, we may need to go a step farther. Social entrepreneurship–described by someone as the ability to harness the markets to achieve a social mission–is growing as a viable way to help the community, while generating a profit.

2. We must get our voices into mainstream media: We can’t allow the work we do to be put on the back burner. Organizations like the Red Cross may have national attention because their involvement in crisis assistance, yet many organizations never receive attention (unless it’s a scandal). Supplements in newspapers about local organizations or TV segments that show the work these organizations do will not only give them more attention (and probably more clients), but it will also get people thinking about the nonprofit world perhaps sparking discussions and making it clear what role this organizations play in people’s lives.

3. We must create a stronger culture of philanthropy: While I am unsettled by a reliance on others to give, I still recognize the importance of having a nation in which giving back to your community is fostered.  However, philanthropy must extend beyond the giving and receiving of funds–when this happens, a serious disconnection forms.  For example, often times, fundraising exists in a bubble with the people leading fundraising initiatives having no connection to the neighborhood in which the organization is located and sometimes, the organization itself.  The push should be in terms of community investment in the well being of an organization rather than money controlling the mission.

We need a makeover, not only to attract young workers but to increase public investment in our work.  Perhaps this is another issue for the new generation of leaders to take on.