The
third annual Millennial Impact report has just been issued and it is full of important
data. The report is issued by Achieve
and Johnson Grossnickle Associate and funded by the Case Foundation. The findings and recommendations are drawn
from over 6500 surveys completed and focus groups of “Millennial Professionals”
aged 20 – 35. 95% of the participants
were college graduates. The purpose of
the study is to develop a better understanding of successful strategies for
nonprofits to engage millennials.
Because it included both surveys and focus groups in Indianapolis,
Seattle, and Washington D.C it has both breadth and depth.
· Connect
· Involve
· Give
This
article covers the Connect aspect of the report. There is a companion article at the Nonprofit Capacity
Building Blog - Great Research for Nonprofits: Millennial Impact Report – Involve the 20-35 Year Olds which addresses the “Involve” aspect of the
report. Check back for an article that
will be published in both blogs on the “Give” results.
I have been writing about engaging Millennials for a
long time. I have a 27 year old son and
so I have a personal sample of one to add to the study. My assessment – This study is dead-on
correct. And…. I think a lot of this
applies to older folks too – not just Millennials. I bet you will identify with much of what is
in the report. However, objective data
always boosts my confidence level.
A big thank you for the team also
making these great infographics with their key findings available.
Here are some key overall findings and
assessments from the report:
Millennials
are eager to be taken seriously as future donors, volunteers, and leaders for
causes they care about. Young donors
are fully immersed in the pace and technology of our times, but they are also
invested in timeless values. They want
to give and to serve. They want involvements that engage their minds as well as
their hands. In the end, they want to build authentic, personal relationships
with nonprofits. Millennials have high expectations. Marion’s note: Corporate employers are
learning the parallel or same things.
Study
Findings on “Connecting”
The
nonprofit website continues to be the number #1 way that Millennials will get
information about you but they want it in short, quick, easy to access
bites. They are most likely accessing
your website from a smartphone – not sitting in front of a computer. They want to quickly find the specific
information that they went to the website for.
My advice – use your own smartphone and go to your website and check out various things people might be
looking for. How easy to get is what you are looking for?
Focus group participants
in all 3 cities repeatedly said they wanted to be able to understand exactly
what the organization did in a split-second.
Mission statements should show the purpose and value of the
organization without being lengthy. Wouldn’t all age groups like
this? YES!!!!!
Websites
Nonprofit
websites should show:
· A unique, purposeful and concise mission
· Easy to use navigation – don’t make users dig for information
· Clear call to action (Ex. - Donate, volunteer, promote)
· Photos that help show what you do - show instead of tell
o
Marion’s note: Photos of buildings and old people at galas
are not that interesting.
Enewsletters
- 65% say they prefer that an email from a nonprofit deliver news and updates
- 61% want to know about upcoming events
- 47% want to be informed about volunteer opportunities.
- Keep the email short – best if limited to one subject. Remember its probably being viewed on a smartphone.
- Emails should not be too frequent – or it will result in deletion.
- Subject line is key to the email being opened. (Having the right Subject title is an art in itself. Never say “June Newsletter.” Sounds like it is a long and boring email – quick path to the delete button. A title that portends action, big news, opportunity to attend/get involved is much more likely to be opened.)
- Use links to direct readers to subjects that they want more information about.
Focus group participants
said that it was important the e-news signups be prominent on the homepage, and
must explain the benefits of subscribing to the e-news and frequency of
publication. Marion – Glad I saw this.
I am aggressive about offering advice about your donate now button but I
haven’t said much about eNewsletter signups.
I sure will in the future.
In response to nonprofit newsletter examples, focus group respondents in all cities felt that emails with too much content were overwhelming and less likely to be read. They preferred emails be focused on the most important call to action and story, with links for more information on other topics, volunteer opportunities, and events.
Facebook
Facebook has
become a key avenue for building relationships and in no group is it more
important than with Millennials. Of the 67% of respondents who said
they have interacted with nonprofits via Facebook, 92% have “liked” nonprofit
pages. All I can say to that is
WOW – What an opportunity that so many small nonprofits have hardly tapped
into. The value of facebook is in
enhancing relationships with those you already have a relationship with but
there is also a huge opportunity to expand your reach. Check out the responses to this question:
WHEN ON FACEBOOK, WHAT TYPE OF NONPROFIT INFORMATION
WOULD YOU SHARE?
- Cool Events 74%
- Impressive Statistics 68%
- News 65%
- Volunteer Opportunity 61%
- I donated 30%
People ask me what they post about
on facebook. Here it is – plain and
simple. Works for all ages.
Tips for Engaging on Facebook:
· Post links to other relevant blogs or organizations
· Tag photos of volunteers or event attendees
·
Post photos sharing a
statistic or key fact about the organization in one line
