Keeping Millennials Engaged

Brian — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:17:56 +0000

There’s a thought provoking post over on Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog titled Why Millennials Are Going to Keep You on Your Toes.

In the post Katya Andresen talks about Millennials* and how they are different from past generations. She makes many interesting observations but the one that stands out to me comes from a study by Achieve. She quotes a study which talks about millennials and their higher expectations for non-profits. The study says

Millennial donors want more than a transactional relationship. They want to be engaged,” said Derrick Feldmann, CEO of Achieve. “They need to feel a connection with an organization, and they want opportunities for deeper involvement, such as opportunities to work with leadership and to help craft direction for the organization. Plus, they want to know specifically how their gifts will benefit the organization’s constituents.

Interesting stuff. I think it directly applies to fundraising, volunteerism and possibly even roles in the church. As someone involved in all three of those areas I’m extremely interested in this.

In our churches I would think that we need to create opportunities for millennials to take on leadership roles too keep them engaged. Perhaps they can help plan events for the youth ministry, run their own small group, teach a class, or help facilitate the benevolence program.

In our non-profits perhaps we can include them on our volunteer committees and create opportunities for them to fundraise for specific projects. There are a lot of possibilities but it’s important that we do something.

We need to make sure we are open to allowing the kind of interaction this generation needs. I’m afraid we’ll loose them and their support if we don’t. So, be proactive, look at your programs and see where this type of interaction is possible and appropriate. I’m sure you’ll appreciate the help and they’ll appreciate having a voice.

*Everyone seems to have a different definition of where the millennial generation begins and ends. In some studies I would be considered a millennial and in others I would be considered a part of generation x.

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Cup with a Cause

Brian — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:15:34 +0000

I stopped by the 7-Eleven across from my office this morning and noticed a new promotion while I was serving myself some coffee. The promotion is called “Cup with a Cause”, and it’s a philanthropic venture for 7-Eleven. Here’s a description of the program from www.cupwithacause.com.

The 7-Eleven Coffee Cup with a Cause program brings limited edition coffee cups designed by high profile entertainers and athletes into 7-Eleven stores nationwide. Each cup will benefit a charity of the celebrity’s choosing, with the organization receiving a $250,000 donation from 7-Eleven. This means that the next time you help yourself to one of 7-Eleven’s great coffee options, you’ll also have the chance to help someone in need. Now that’s hot. Cup with a Cause. It’s charity, by design.

It’s nice to see 7-Eleven doing something like this. And, with so many people visiting 7-Eleven each day, this will be great PR for all of the featured charities. Very cool 7-Eleven.

The first featured cup benefits the Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation.

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Keeping Millennials Engaged

Cup with a Cause