Bluespark - January 2022

Bluespark - January 2022

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January 2022

How to Engage With Younger Generations Engaging with a younger generation is challenging. This began with Generation X and continues to amplify with millennials and centennials. Successfully interacting with younger people requires a layered approach. First, you must connect them to the content and causes that matter to them, then align the “ask” with what they are able to give. But it all begins by communicating the outcomes of previous experiences. Tell them what happened — relay a success story and relate to them. Have they ever experienced something similar to what you’re describing? People express value in different ways. Maybe a person decides to commit the time to show up and get something done. Someone could decide to give permission to receive emails, and they are providing their attention. Another person told five friends in their network/community that they found a cause worthy of contribution. (Sharing on social media is a low-effort example of networking.) Respecting these different ways to express value is critical in terms of aligning your ask with what someone has to give.

If we ask, we’ve also got to listen. Ideally, part of the ask is giving someone a reason to create an account. For example, UCLA’s Westward program costs $10 a month and includes access to podcasts that interview experts within the university. UCLA is uniquely equipped to leverage the expertise that they have right on campus to keep alumni and other folks connected. Once an incentive like podcasts gets someone to sign up, we can then ask them to select their interests from various categories. The job of the system we created is to make sure it has content for those categories, so it can be presented through something like email. With smaller causes (for a community, neighbor, or family member), the impact is immediately visible. Someone with a friend or family in need will donate and share a GoFundMe link with others. They know how the money is directly impacting someone’s life. Compare that to an advancement and engagement organization where it feels like giving to a large corporation with billions of dollars. How can a university show the impact when it’s one or two steps removed? They can share this through storytelling, repositioning as a trusted advisor, and demonstrating how money flows through the university to effect real change. A $50 donation becomes part of a pool that turns into $1 million, which then allows someone to graduate and make a better life. Rather than going through GoFundMe or Kickstarter to choose where to contribute, someone who gives money to a university is trusting that it’s distributed to worthy causes and individuals. Continued on Page 3 ...

From all the campaign emails you send, how many actually talk in detail about successful results and demonstrate the impact of the recipient’s contribution? At the end of the day, engagement is really about rebuilding trust and showing how your organization makes a difference in people’s lives. Unfortunately, organizations aren’t raising money for causes — they’re raising money for funds . Those funds are allocated for a wide range of purposes, especially when placed in a single general fund. (Universities like Emory are somewhat unique because they have multiple smaller funds.) Instead of a fund-centric approach, think about causes and who is actually supported by that money. As a concrete example, someone might have graduated through a scholarship paid for by donations. Focus on topics that are most relevant today and explain the impact. Food insecurity is a significant issue right now — especially due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Some students could not go home and had to remain at the university because of layoffs within the family. Thankfully, money was raised to fund their next meal. Tell this story. You can communicate results while still respecting other people’s privacy simply by using percentages and talking about the different people you helped without disclosing identities. Headlines about huge $50 million contributions are necessary, but they might make someone feel like their $50 wasn’t appreciated or needed. Get creative about illustrating the impact made by those contributions, emphasizing how someone’s $50 really did make a difference.

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