Advice for effective millennial outreach and engagement

September 4, 2014

Advice for effective millennial outreach and engagement

Millennials have moved from a generation of kids and teenagers to comprising the college population and working youth of America. As these young adults continue to enter the workforce, their impact will become more powerful. Nonprofit website service Wild Apricot said in a recent blog post that millennials aren't just influencing the culture of the country – and the world – they're driving and defining it. Nonprofits that can successfully attract millennials can reap significant benefits, so targeting outreach toward this group should be a priority in many instances. Here are a few pieces of advice for attracting members of this powerful group:

Focus on the people being helped, not the organization: Wild Apricot pointed out that millennials are far more interested in people and communities than institutions. Big names certainly still hold some cachet for millennials, but not in the same way that they did for previous generations. Charitable groups that want to bring in this demographic and engage them in both fundraising and volunteering efforts need to focus on the results of their programs and highlight the individuals that have been helped. This people-first approach is more likely to be in line with the feelings of the millennial generation.
Don't shy away from mobile: The smartphone addiction stereotype of millennials is likely overstated, but this generation feels comfortable using these devices, so a nonprofit should as well. Providing a mobile-responsive website isn't a particularly large or costly change, but it can improve the interactions that millennials have with a given organization. Providing these young adults with the methods of communication they prefer to learn more about your nonprofit is an important part of engagement.
Don't overlook volunteer efforts: Marketing blog Hubspot pointed out the propensity of millennials to want to offer their talents or skills to a nonprofit. While many of these young people are in the workforce, they don't have the decades of savings and earnings of older contributors. Getting millennials to share their skills or experience in lieu of money can lead to positive outcomes and keep the contributors engaged for the long term.

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Advice for effective millennial outreach and engagement