This document discusses strategies for engaging young alumni donors, known as millennials. It provides tips for nonprofit organizations, including using concise messaging in emails, leveraging social media, storytelling to engage audiences, setting identifiable goals to encourage action, recognizing all donors, making communications mobile-friendly, offering local networking events, and alternative fundraising methods like crowdfunding. The overall message is that millennials want to support causes that matter to them, so nonprofits should demonstrate how gifts can impact issues millennials care about.

1. Engaging Young Alumni
83% of Millennials gave a
gift in 2012

2. )
Housekeeping
• Please chat your questions in, we have folks standing by
to monitor and respond.
• You can find the recording of today’s session at
http://hello.blackbaud.com/onlinesweetspot

3. )
Today’s Presenter
Georgia
Bulldog
Tara Jayne-
O’Donnell
Senior Solutions
ConsultantAthlete

4. )
The Facts
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5. )
Poll the audience
Who are millennial
donors?

6. )
Millennial Donor
• Anyone born roughly between 1980 – 2000s
• Generation Y
• Young Alumni or Recent graduates of Colleges and Universities across the
country

7. )
Building a Lasting Legacy
Research shows Millennial donors – or
those born between the early 1980s and
the early 2000s – are as generous as other
generations were at the same age, but that
they are “much more focused on wanting
to support the things that matter to them.”
Lippincott
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8. )
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9. Tip #1 – Concise Messaging
Tailored Email Content
• Simple message
• Content that calls readers to action
• Less information more imagery
• Photos, videos, headlines
• Mobile friendly email
• Large giving button
• Social media links
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10. )
Tip #1 – Concise Messaging
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11. )
Tip #2 – Leveraging Social Media
Leverage Tools That Already Exist
• Incorporate social feeds onto your
websites
• Twitter feeds
• LinkedIn job posting feeds
• Content calendars
• Social share icons
• Visual content for sharing
• Facebook
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12. )
Tip #2 – Leveraging Social Media
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13. )
Tip #3 – Story Telling
Tell a Story That Will Engage Your Audience
• Gifts that contribute to something tangible and specific on campus
• Share personal stories of individuals and campus projects
• Visualize the message
• Explain the importance and benefit of alumni involvement
• Provide alum an opportunity to share their stories
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14. )
Tip #3 – Story Telling
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15. )
Tip #3 – Story Telling
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16. )
Tip #4 – Set Goals
Encourage Action Through Identifiable Goals
• Build momentum and create urgency
• Offer a fundraising challenge
• Display milestones reached
• Demonstrate donor importance
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17. )
Tip #4 – Set Goals
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18. )
Tip #5 – Recognize Donors
Every Gift Counts
• Donor wall
• Appreciation can go viral
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19. )
Tip #5 – Recognize Donors
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20. )
Tip #6 – Make it Mobile
Why Not Connect with Young Alum in the Best Way Possible
• Ways to improve
• Simplify your message
• Make buttons easily clickable for a mobile touchscreen
• Make text readable for a small device
• Don’t clutter
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21. ̺堐
Tip #6 – Make it Mobile
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22. ۢ䠐
Tip #7 – Local Networking
Calendar of Events/Networking Options by
City
• Incorporate and target event feeds by
city
• Emails including event calendars
specific to alumni region
• Empower social ambassadors
• Offer city specific networking and
volunteer opportunities
• Offer professional development
opportunities
• Provide incentive
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23. ۢ䮰
Tip #8 – Alternative Fundraising
Its More Than Just a Donation
• Encourage smaller monthly
recurring gifts
• Crowdfunding (run, walk, ride)
• Tribute gifts (birthdays,
graduation)
• Cause specific gifts (scholarship,
project)
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24. ̽䏠
Building a Lasting Legacy…..
Demonstrate to young alumni the importance of staying
involved and the benefits of an established relationship
by showing them their University supports the causes
that matter most to them.

25. ̼씐
We hope to see you again soon!
Join us for the next session in our Finding the Sweet Spot series:
• Making Your Events Memorable & Effective
• Thursday, June 27 │ 2:00 PM ET
• http://hello.blackbaud.com/onlinesweetspot

26. ۧ㣠
thank you.
The 2013 Millennial Impact Report: Research by Achieve
2013 Charitable Giving Report: Research by Blackbaud