Tag Archives: philanthropy

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


Remembering Oseola McCarty: Lessons She Taught Me about Social Change


Posted by ajlovesya

March 7, 1908 - September 26, 1999

In July 1995, 87-year-old Oseola McCarty gave $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi. While the amount may not seem remarkable—especially in terms of a gift to a university—Ms. McCarty’s generosity is a testimony to how anyone can help make the world a better place.

Born March 7th 1908 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi she dropped out of school in the sixth grade to take care of her sick aunt. She spent the rest of her life as a washerwoman, living frugally eventually amassing considerable wealth. In 1995, gave $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi, asking that the money be given to poor students of color whom she felt might face substantial financial barriers to obtaining an education.

Though she gave the gift quietly and requested no grand acknowledgement of her gift, she became a social change superstar. She received honorary degrees from Harvard and University of Mississipi, published a book, carried the Olympic Torch in 1996, received the President’s Citizen’s Medal and the Community Heroes Award from The National Urban League, and countless programs and buildings named after her.

Her story is truly inspirational and when I read about her in The Greater Good, I realized two important aspects of social change we must always keep in mind:

Realize that change starts with you: While she intended to give without getting much attention, what’s clear is that her desire to help was a lifetime commitment. Making the world a better place is not just something you do from 9-5 nor is it something that can necessarily be put on your resume. It’s your beliefs and your interactions with others. Change starts from the inside.

Focus on the future and the greater good: Becoming involved in social change is inherently an act of faith. We are working to eradicate long-standing problems that take time to dismantle. We may never see the fruits of our labor but the point isn’t just to focus on what we want to have, but to ensure that the generation that comes after us has more. She never met the students who benefited from her generosity; that didn’t stop her from believing she could make a difference.

She is certainly my inspiration. And on her birthday, I am happy to honor her.

“I’m giving it away so that the children won’t have to work so hard, like I did.”

Wikipedia Entry on Oseola McCarty

New York Times Obituary


The Candidates and Public Service


Posted by ajlovesya

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is providing amazing coverage of the presidental candidates’ involvement and approach to non profits, philanthropy, and public service.  Additionally they track congressional actions as they relate to non-profits.

Notable:

McCain supports the Troop-to-Teachers Act, a program to train veterans to become teachers, and introduced legislation to extend the program.

Obama has pledged to create a Social Investment Fund Network, which would distribute government and private money to charities working on innovative projects that focus on issues that have been identified by cities as priorities — crime prevention or education, for example — and help expand successful ones to other regions.

A friend of mine joked that the problem with Obama is that he is asking people to do too much; that he places too much responsibility on citizens to make change.  I found this ironic since the republican platform is that citizens should be responsible for creating the communities they desire. 

At the same time the key difference is that Obama plans to implement policies and programs to enable citizen participation, where as republicans seem to want to roll back government involvement in creating any kind of environment for action focusing on the market’s ability to inspire action based on citizens’ needs. 

What do you think of the candidates’ approach to public service?