Waiting For Inspiration
The New York Times recently headlined … For Millenials, a Tide of Cynicism and a Partisan Gap.
They were previewing a series of polls regarding Millenials political and social views by Harvard’s Institute of Politics.
A finding that makes me want to throw my hands up in despair is that those age 18-29 split evenly in their views of the National Rifle Association (NRA) — 38% favorable, 38% unfavorable. Slightly less than one-in-five (18%) personally own a gun, while another 39% have an immediate family member who does. UGH!
The top issue concern of this group is “creating jobs and lowering the unemployment rate”.
Their view of today’s politics and political system is quite cynical. For example:
- 59% agree strongly or somewhat that “elected officials seem to be motivated by selfish reasons”
- 56% agree that “elected officials don’t have the same priorities I have”
- 47% agree that “politics today are no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing” (only 16% disagree — with 36% saying that they neither agree nor disagree)
- The institution they trust least is the media … ranking under Congress and Wall Street!! And the institution they trust most? Go find that surprise for yourself!
Is there a silver lining in these findings?
I sure hope so! Maybe here … 34% of all Millennials report that they have volunteered for community service in the last year; 53% of college students.
Here’s a group that’s waiting for inspiration. Can your nonprofit provide it? Forget about fundraising for the moment … just get them involved!
Tom
2 responses to “Waiting For Inspiration”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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We are really lucky to have lots of Millennials involved with our cause. They are inspiring, fun, and energetic…oh, and much better at technology than I am. I really appreciate their involvement.
I think that these statistics were probably the same when the rest of us were that age. They are figuring out where they fit and how they want to tackle life. We, as the nonprofit community, have the opportunity to help them see life as an open and full of promise, not a series of obstacles.
Throughout their lives, they have faces cuts in school, cuts in parks, cuts in medical care, cuts in jobs, cuts in all they need and want for security and stability, cuts, cuts and people who don’t want to invest in them -they see inequity and lack of access. It is up to us to help them, guide them, mentor them to change the world into what they want it to be, not accept it for what it is. And, if anyone has the energy to do make the future better, it is the Millennials.
P.S. About what they do trust, there is a reason (other than physical prowess) that the military has to recruit from the ranks of younger people…