With just a week to go before the mid-term elections in the U.S. a good many of my friends are swept up in an avalanche of anxiety turbocharged by the breathless panting of the cable news pundits and pollsters.

A question that’s posed again and again, “Will the Millennials vote?”

Frankly I have no idea. For a generation that’s been accused of destroying traditional foundations of American life –like country clubs, golf, breakfast cereal, banks, chain restaurants, diamonds and homeownership— it seems to me that folks are putting a pretty heavy responsibility on the Millennials to somehow save American democracy.

For an optimistic view of what’s likely to happen see Pollster John Della Volpe’s op-ed piece today in the Washington Post reporting on his poll  for the Harvard Institute of Politics indicating what younger voters under 30 are likely to do next week.

But. I digress.

After all The Agitator’s about fundraising, not politics.  But, while the subject of Millennials is on folks’ minds let’s review The Agitator’s take on Millennials,  as they relate to fundraising. 

There’s no question that Millennials (the generation born between 1981 and 1995) are an enormous economic and cultural force because they represent 25.9% of the U.S. population. Some geriatric businesses –and, yes, geriatric nonprofits—view them with suspicion or basically ignore them. Others, eternally in pursuit of the new and shiny embrace them with an enthusiasm that diverts time and resources away from older generations.

We witness these paradoxical mindsets at work every day in board meetings, at conferences and on the blogs:

• On the one hand, “old timers” sagely advise against placing too much faith and resources in the chase for “younger” donors. This branch of fundraising wisdom is quick to remind us that the most important segment of the donor population more senior donors –meaning old folks—and their parents.
• On the other hand, boards and CEOs continually fret about “our aging donor base” and are quick to recommend that their organization’s resources be mainly devoted to attracting “young donors.”

The paradox is further confused by various competing choirs of consultants, direct mail and digital vendors chanting “Direct mail is Dead” ….” Direct Mail is Alive” …” Digital Is the Answer” …” Digital Isn’t the Answer.”

What’s a poor fundraiser to do?

First the fundraising facts.   According to research by The Blackbaud Institute, although Millennials (born 1981-1995) make up 25.9% of the population, they account for just 11% of total U.S. charitable giving. The $481 they give on average is less than the $732 given by Generation X (1969-1979) and the $1,212 given by Baby Boomers (1946-1964).

Then the “buts”. BUT…some argue there’s more to Millennial giving than the dollar amount because they are more likely to donate in-kind and volunteer their time.  Well, that’s true of young people of every generation (because they lack the cash), not just Millennials.

One could argue ad Infinitum about the pros and cons of Millennials as a fundraising sector. And if you’d like to dig into that see Why Millennials Are More Charitable Than the Rest of You. Once you’re read that, then also see the lively discussion between Nick and Agitator readers on the article, here.

So, with all that by way of background, I’ll cut to the chase.  Here’s….

…The Agitator’s Take on Millennials.

Focusing on Millennials as a distinct audience is misguided. 

Looking at Millennials with the belief they act one way or the other as a group is not reliable.  In fact, it’s probably better to look at any other factor than age to get an idea of a person’s likelihood to contribute.

Or to put it another way: gross generalizations based on demographics like age/generation are crap.

If you want to know more about the dangers of treating Millennials as a distinct audience, I urge you to read the following three posts prepared by Nick.  Together they constitute what we call the game of Millennial Myth Whack-A-Mole by reading these threeAgitator posts:

Start with Demographics: The Second-Best Way to Segment Your File–The reason demographic segments like “Millennials” don’t work out is surprisingly simple: there’s more difference within these demographic groups than between/among them.  Consequently, they are not predictive.

Or, as marketing professor Mark Ritson puts it in Marketing Week: “If your segment is populated by different people who want different things, it is not a segment. It’s a joke and so are your skills as a marketer.”

Next, go to Get Your Millennials Off My Lawn where Nick explains why looking at Millennials with the belief they act one way or the other as a group is not reliable.  In fact, it would likely be better to look at any other factor than age to get an idea of a person.”

And… then wrap it up with Get Your Millennials Off My Lawn: Part 2 by joining Nick on a tour that summarizes and debunks the research and claims about why Millennials need to be the focus of your fundraising and marketing strategy.

Finally…. If you are one or know some Millennials, please vote.

Roger