How To Involve Young People In Your Nonprofit

Younger generations value authenticity, and it’s important to relay your cause’s message in a straightforward, relatable manner. A McKinsey report states that, “For Generation Z, as we have seen, the main spur to consumption is the search for truth, in both a personal and a communal form.”

Professional jargon is like kryptonite to genuine communication. Examples of jargon include words like empower, enable, community-driven action, food insecure, change agent, stakeholder, alignment, integrated, leverage, and holistic. As you can see, they’re all industry-speak. By its very definition, jargon is insider language used by a group that is difficult for others to understand. Put another way, if you read your mission statement or donor emails out loud and there’s a bunch of words that make it sound important but somehow don’t say much at all, you’ve got a jargon problem

Common language—how you might speak over dinner or coffee with friends—relates to more people and is more human. This is important to younger generations and probably everyone else your org interacts with. 

Students may be short on funds, but they’re long on passion and energy, and we all know a personal referral carries more weight than a cold call. So, connect with local high schools, colleges, universities, and clubs.Schools are a great way to introduce your nonprofit to younger generations through something they are familiar with. While this new group might not be a source of large donations, students have loads of passion, creativity, and energy. If they’re excited about your cause, they’ll spread the word far and wide and do what they can to help.

People in their 20s and 30s are working hard to get their lives and careers together, and the financial strain is heavier than it’s been for previous generations. Making time for another thing is challenging, as is giving money they don’t have.

A young person is not going to get excited about a banquet or going to meetings and hearing about how important it is that they donate. They are, however, extremely motivated to make a difference with a cause that inspires them. Create volunteer opportunities through which their actions will have an obvious impact. Data entry, office work, answering phones, calling for donations…none of that feels like you’re making a difference. It feels like an obligation. Instead, ask them to help with hands-on projects that have a tangible impact on your cause.

Another way to attract young volunteers is to think about how it can help them while helping your nonprofit in the process. According to AmeriCorps, “Volunteering was associated with 27% higher odds of employment.” Contributing to a cause they believe in while adding to a resume could appeal to Gen Z. For example, a 20-year-old who plans on being a social media manager can help you by making engaging reels or creating more authentic Instagram content. Or a young writer can refresh and update email and web copy so it’s approachable and jargon-free. However, it’s important to remember that no one likes to be taken advantage of. Remember that a volunteer is giving their time—don’t overload them with a full-time job.

As you’ve likely heard repeatedly, younger generations are “online natives” (there’s jargon, again!). They count on being able to do most things online, and if they can’t, there’s a good chance they won’t.

Make it clear on your website where visitors can sign up to volunteer. Don’t hide the link at the bottom or in a drop-down menu. Call it out on your main page and clearly explain why volunteer help matters and how people can make a difference. Most of all, make the process of signing up to help on specific tasks something they can do from their phones. 

An example of this is NKLA, an animal rescue in Los Angeles. One of our Gen Z interviewees volunteers there, and when asked what made them choose that rescue (outside of a love of animals), they said they loved how easy it was to sign up and choose where and how they wanted to help. When you visit the NKLA volunteer page, it’s easy to see what our Gen Zer means. 

The same goes for donations. Take advantage of your platform’s peer-to-peer fundraising functionality, set up crowdfunding campaigns that address specific needs, and use the data from your efforts to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and what kind of did.

Gen Z is attracted to transparency. Seeing how their donation makes an impact motivates them to give and volunteer. However, data isn’t what it’s all about. Stories about the difference their help or donation made are important, too. Think about pictures and details about individuals who have been helped by your programming—that humanizes what your nonprofit does, which resonates with young people.

One thing that stood out to us about the Nonprofit Times article referenced earlier was that “more than half (57%) also said a postal thank-you note would increase their likelihood of giving.” In addition to sending a note in thanks for a donation, try that same tactic with your younger volunteers. You could send a thank-you note after they help out for the first time. Or, if you’re short on staff, try direct mail postcards with a meaningful message.