When we talk about millennials, they are those born between 1981 and 1996 who have grown up with technology and embrace it wholeheartedly.
Anyone born after 1997 is considered Generation Z . The millennials are now around 26 to 41 years old. The grey up with global concerns about climate change, ecological impact and social justice, clamouring for people to care more for those in need.
As technology advances, fundraising has to adapt to meet the needs of the donors. We need to make it easier for them to give to causes that touch their hearts. We need to reassure them of the impact their donation is making towards bettering the planet. And we need to ensure transparency so they know exactly how their donations are used. Technology gives us the tools to do all these things at the touch of a few buttons.
According to statistics, the average millennial spends 2 hours 38 minutes per day on social media, with Facebook dominating. Many platforms are out there, so you need to target a few that will work instead of spreading your efforts too thinly.
Hire a professional content developer
Campaigns need to be creative as you compete with professionals whose business is to engineer engaging social media content. You may be surprised how much a professional content developer can help reach donors. For example, the short-form video, often no longer than 30 seconds, has replaced longer videos or photographs, although an outstanding photo still works well. Professionals can create and post in a fraction of the time it will take non-professionals, making them worth the investment.
Sharing is caring
Content must be shareable because once a campaign gains traction, it can explode as people share, and it goes viral. Providing incentives for sharing content work well. The content needs to connect with the heart; otherwise, people move on.
Mobile friendly
Engineered all your content to be mobile-friendly; otherwise, people lose interest and click off your website or campaigns.
Volunteering opportunities
It’s not always about the money – millennials are also willing to donate their valuable time, so don’t hesitate to reach out for help when needed. People like to feel part of a community, and volunteering fosters that community spirit. Local businesses and organizations may be willing to work with you if their workforce perceives your charity worthy of their time investment.
Instant results
Years ago, people would sit down and decide which charities to support and become set in their ways of giving. Millennials will choose instantly to donate if your campaign appeals and will hit the click-to-donate button without debating the issue. The campaign appealed. They want to help – BAM – you have your donation. They still like to be thanked, so as the contribution comes in, you need a response already set up to thank them.
Keeping them in the loop
Without bombarding donors, please keep them in the loop. For example, let’s say they donated to buy additional land to add to a rainforest area. Let them know when the ground is acquired, show appealing photos of the rainforest creatures in the additional habitat, and state your next goal. Once invested in an idea, they are more likely to donate again.
Automate your systems
It’s the time for big data and making it work for you. Automated systems make it so much easier to extract what you need to create campaigns efficiently and achieve the charitable goals set. SupporterHub has an automated marketing feature if your current system doesn’t provide this. Because millennials are into instant gratification, you need to keep them close with follow-up emails, so yours is the charity that is top of mind with them.
Make giving easy
Don’t restrict them to one payment method. If a payment method doesn’t suit millennials, they will move on within seconds. Give them choices – Apple Pay, After Pay, Pay Pal, online through a payment gateway, instead of just the Mastercard or Visa option.
Empower your donors with apps
Millennials want to make their impact felt. Interactions with millennial donors particularly need to focus on their contribution to the change they want to see in the world. You can empower them further by using apps that appeal to their desire to give quickly, easily and often creatively. Consider creating your own app, which seems to be the way technology is heading right now. After all, you don’t want to miss those millennials who are close to making up 50% of the workforce.
SupporterHub can help make your fundraising strategy ‘millennial-friendly’. Sign up today and get four weeks free! Get started
