Understanding Millennial Donors

What are the donation habits of the Millennial generation? Millennial Donors 2011 answers with recent research (for a related Christianity Today blog post, click here):

• 93% of surveyed Millennials gave to nonprofit organizations in 2010, with 10% giving $1,000 or more during the course of the year, but the bulk of giving was distributed in small increments to many organizations. 58% of respondents said their single largest gift was less than $150.
• 57% of Millennials gave in response to a personal ask and 49% gave online. However, when Millennials were asked how they prefer to give, online giving took the top spot, being identified as the method of choice by 58% of respondents, with personal requests dropping to 48%.
• 84% of Millennials said they are most likely to donate when they fully trust an organization, and 90% said they would stop giving if they do not trust an organization.
• 85% of Millennials are motivated to give by a compelling mission or cause, and 56% by a personal connection or trust in the leadership of the organization. Only 2% of Millennials were motivated to give by celebrity endorsements.

Here are findings related to communicating with these younger donors:

• 71% of respondents get information about nonprofit organizations through web searches, 62% want to receive information by email, and 56% get information from peers. 33% of Millennials said they use Facebook to gather information on an organization.
• On an organization’s website, 70% of Millennials want to find information about the organization’s mission and history, and 56% want to learn about the organization’s financial condition.
• 65% want an organization’s website to provide giving guides that explain how support will make a difference, and 52% want to learn about volunteer opportunities.

Here are findings about engaging Millennials in volunteers service:

• 79% of respondents volunteered for organizations in 2010, with the primary obstacle to volunteering being a lack of time, which was noted by 85% of participants who did not volunteer in 2010. 45% of the non-volunteers said they simply were not asked to volunteer.
• 19% of people who gave $1,000 or more volunteered once a week or more, while only 11% of people who donated less than $1,000 volunteered that often.
• 40% said they would be interested in joining a young professional organization, and 44% were unsure. Of those interested in joining such groups, only 40% said they would be willing to pay a fee or donate to join.