Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier
Conversation Date: September 12th, 2024 12pm CST
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How to Tailor Your Nonprofit's Fundraising Strategy Across Generations
Understanding generational giving patterns can transform your nonprofit’s fundraising approach. Each generation—Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—has unique motivations and preferences that shape their philanthropic habits. In a recent episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit Podcast, I spoke with Allison Plattsmeyer, a nonprofit leader, to explore these nuances. Here’s a comprehensive guide to developing a generationally responsive fundraising strategy.
Two Simple Buckets: Segmenting Your Audience
To streamline your approach, Allison suggests splitting the generations into two main groups:
Bucket One
Baby Boomers and Gen X
Bucket Two
Millennials and Gen Z
This segmentation allows nonprofits to create more targeted messages that resonate with the unique motivations of each group.
Generational Characteristics & Fundraising Tips
Baby Boomers (Boomers)
- Motivations: Boomers, heavily influenced by social change, prefer a consumer-driven approach. They are skeptical of emotional appeals and prioritize transparency, expecting clear, fact-based messages.
- Strategy: Focus on the impact of their dollar, highlighting results, statistics, and practical benefits. Avoid over-sentimental language.
Gen X
- Motivations: Known for their pragmatic approach, Gen X donors are most likely to give multiple times per year. They value direct communication and appreciate seeing tangible outcomes.
- Strategy: Engage Gen X with consistent appeals and direct asks. They’re open to payroll deductions and peer-to-peer recommendations, making employee giving campaigns and authentic testimonials effective.
Millennials
- Motivations: This generation flips traditional donation models, often preferring involvement before giving. Millennials look for social proof, preferring to support causes shared within their personal and professional circles.
- Strategy: Leverage social media and engagement opportunities. Invite them to volunteer or join committees, allowing them to experience the mission firsthand.
Gen Z
- Motivations: Gen Z leans towards person-to-person support and favors direct aid. They’re more skeptical of large organizations and prefer mutual aid or crowdfunding platforms where they see immediate impact.
- Strategy: Prioritize mobile-optimized giving options and short-form, user-generated content. Testimonies from those impacted by the cause resonate strongly with this group, especially in quick, TikTok-style videos.
Simplify Your Strategy
While each generation has unique preferences, Allison’s “Infinite Donor Attraction Method” helps nonprofits organize efforts effectively. For Boomers and Gen X, prioritize one-on-one cultivation through phone calls, letters, and emails. For Millennials and Gen Z, utilize analytics to gauge engagement and focus on social media.
Implementing Strategies for Immediate Results
Here’s a step-by-step approach based on Allison’s success in doubling or tripling nonprofit donations:
1. Define Donor Avatars
Create ideal donor profiles. Understand who your target donors are, what motivates them, and how they prefer to engage.
2. Wealth Prospecting
Identify individuals who align with your cause and determine their giving potential, organizing donors by affinity and capacity.
3. Deploy Targeted Appeals
Focus resources on high-potential donors. Start with those who are more likely to convert, based on their giving patterns and generational traits.
4. Staff Expansion
As funds increase, hire staff to manage outreach and maintain donor relationships.
Key Takeaways for Nonprofits
By segmenting generational approaches, nonprofits can simplify fundraising strategies, focusing on core motivations rather than crafting overly complex messaging. Tailoring messaging based on generational buckets not only increases donations but also cultivates loyal supporters.
For nonprofits eager to connect with Allison for further insights, she can be reached on LinkedIn at Allison Kintania Plattsmeyer or through her consulting practice, AQP Consulting. Additionally, her upcoming book, From B to Z: Trends in Generational Giving, will offer more in-depth guidance on this topic.
Allison
AFP's Outstanding Young Fundraising Professional | ALPFA Latina to Watch | National Latino Leader | NBJ Woman of Influence | Nashville Post In Charge: Convener | NBJ 40 Under 40 | Top 50 Under 50 Executive Leaders
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Frequently
Asked Questions
Each generation has unique motivations and giving preferences. Tailoring your approach helps you connect more effectively, fostering stronger donor relationships and potentially increasing donations.
Segmenting your audience into Bucket One (Baby Boomers and Gen X) and Bucket Two (Millennials and Gen Z) allows you to create targeted messages that resonate with each group’s distinct values and expectations.
Baby Boomers value fact-based, transparent messages and often view philanthropy like a consumer decision, focusing on impact. Gen X donors are direct and loyal, preferring regular, straightforward communication and are open to frequent appeals.
Millennials and Gen Z often prefer to engage with a cause before donating. They look for hands-on involvement, social proof, and are more likely to respond to digital and mobile-friendly giving options, including user-generated content.
This method encourages focusing on cultivation for Boomers and Gen X (one-on-one relationships) and leveraging social media and analytics to attract Millennials and Gen Z, allowing nonprofits to streamline efforts and better allocate resources.
Encourage user-generated content by asking younger supporters or volunteers to share their experiences on social media. This approach leverages your current community while minimizing the need for continuous in-house content creation.
Start by optimizing your website for mobile, creating short-form video content, and inviting younger donors to participate in activities like volunteering or committee work. These steps help establish a connection before asking for monetary support.
Nonprofits that implement these tailored strategies often see a 2x to 3x increase in donations within the first year, as targeted messaging and engagement methods resonate better with each generation, leading to more substantial and sustained support.