Looking for the best way to charm your Gen Z donors? If connecting with this new group of supporters feels daunting, you’re not alone. The good news is that members of Gen Z are generous, motivated givers interested in a variety of causes – and chances are you can easily reach them with a few tweaks to your fundraising strategy. Read on to learn more about Gen Z donors, including how to make meaningful connections with them.
Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, makes up about 21% of the total U.S. population. They are our first digital native generation, born and raised with a steady stream of technology and access to the internet.
Members of Gen Z are incredibly generous givers, earning the nickname “philanthrokids.” They’re passionate about social change and making the world they’ve inherited a better place.
Many nonprofits relying on the same fundraising techniques for the last thirty years may feel baffled by this new generation, including how to best reach them. In this article, we’ll share more about creating lasting relationships with our newest generation of donors.
As of 2024, members of Generation Z range from 12 to 27 years old. They have arrived in the world of fundraising, volunteering, and activism in a big way – and nonprofits can no longer afford to ignore them.
Here are some other facts to keep in mind about Gen Z donors:
This passionate generation of donors presents a huge opportunity for nonprofits, although it’s not always easy to know where to find them.
Let’s look at some of the best places and strategies to find Gen Z donors.
It’s no surprise that this digital native generation is on social media. Some platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, are more densely populated with Gen Z than others like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Gen Z thrives in a connected community. Online community platforms such as Discord foster virtual groups based on mutual interests.
Live streaming various activities, including playing video games, is also incredibly popular on platforms like Twitch.
Consider setting up a virtual community using one of these platforms to connect with your Gen Z donors.
Virtual events have been around for years, and their popularity isn’t going anywhere.
Gen Z may be more attracted to virtual events because they are familiar with the format of online interactions. Plus, virtual events expand your audience, cut back on certain costs, and get the word out about your organization.
Gen Z wants to share their opinions on social media. They want to participate as much as possible in important movements and inform their peers and followers about causes that matter. That’s where your organization can connect with them – by encouraging them to create and share content about your organization.
Pro tip: Encourage your supporters to use hashtags to help others find this content and learn more about your organization.
Donors are more powerful when they come together – and Gen Z donors recognize that. That’s why you may find Gen Z partaking in giving circles that allow them to connect with their peers to raise more for the causes they care about.
Once you find your Gen Z audience, you may need to adjust your communication strategy to better engage them.
As digital natives, Gen Z understands the importance of transparency and authenticity. They will be more discerning than other donors, so being as open and honest in your communications as possible will help you connect.
Pro tip: Donorbox makes it easy to increase your donors’ trust by adding a trust badge image to your donation form. Add your Charity Navigator or GuideStar rating so your donors know your organization has gone through extensive review. Note that this feature is only available for Pro and Premium users. Check out all of your form customization options in this article!
Members of Gen Z spend an average of seven hours a day on their phones. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website (with a multi-step donation form optimized for mobile use), you’re missing out on connecting with these younger donors.
Having a mobile-friendly approach in your fundraising strategy will help you bring in more donations from Gen Z. Think about incorporating tools like Donorbox Text-to-Give, which allows your donors to simply send a text to receive a link to your online donation page.
Creating memorable, unique experiences for your supporters is a great way to get more donations – especially during times of a slow economy. Donors like to feel like they’re seeing a return on their donation, whether that’s through increased impact or getting an exciting experience in return.
Gen Z donors are no different. They want to connect with your mission through meaningful experiences like events, membership programs, unique fundraisers, and more. Learn all about experiential fundraising in this blog, then download our free Donor Experience Brainstorming Worksheet to get started.
As with any supporter, Gen Z donors want to understand the impact of their gift before giving. Your organization can demonstrate impact through long-form content like an impact report, but shorter and more direct examples of impact will fare better with a younger audience.
Check out how Spirit Dogs makes the impact of each donation level crystal clear on their donation page. For each amount, they explain what that donation level provides – and how it will make a difference for the dogs they serve.
Gen Z’s attention span is an average of eight seconds long – meaning you need something catchy to keep them interested. That’s where visual storytelling comes in!
Video content is king these days, with personal and informal videos taking center stage. But appealing infographics are another tool to tell an easily digestible story. Your organization can create informative and entertaining content to grab the attention of younger donors in a medium they frequent, like social media.
Sometimes, the right partner can help you reach a new audience. Corporate partnerships with brands that cater to Gen Z are a great option.
Influencer partnerships are another great way to connect with this younger audience. Partner with influencers who are passionate about your cause and have them create content highlighting your mission and the impact of donating.
You can also turn your top supporters into fundraisers with peer-to-peer fundraising! This is a great way to connect with new audiences while bringing in crucial donations for your mission.
Donorbox Peer-to-Peer is easy to set up. Simply create your campaign and choose to invite supporters via email or allow anyone to sign up via a button on your donation page. Then, your supporters create their own donation pages telling the story of their interest in your mission. Any donations they collect will automatically flow to your Donorbox account.
Check out how WEDI enabled peer-to-peer fundraising for their Season of Gratitude campaign to significantly increase their reach.
Learn more about peer-to-peer fundraising and how to make it work in this blog!
Like all donors, Gen Z donors want to feel appreciated for their support. Genuine recognition and gratitude go a long way with this generation – as does finding creative ways to show that gratitude.
Donor appreciation events, unique benefits for donors, and personal outreach are great ways to recognize Gen Z supporters (and keep them giving again and again).
Cash isn’t the only type of donation you should be accepting. Many young donors are interested in giving alternative currencies like stock and cryptocurrency because it doubles their tax benefits and allows them to give more than liquid assets.
Learn more about how easy it is to accept stock and crypto donations with Donorbox in this blog. Then download our free resource to learn how to talk about your crypto and stock giving with your donors.
Nonprofits everywhere should be excited about the arrival of Gen Z donors. They’re passionate, generous, and energized.
But that doesn’t mean your organization knows the best way to reach them! We hope the tips shared in this article can help you locate more Gen Z donors and connect with them on a deeper level – so you can turn them into lifelong supporters.
Donorbox offers comprehensive fundraising tools that empower you to collect more donations from donors of all ages. Sign up today and start your first campaign in fifteen minutes!
For more fundraising intel, check out the rest of our Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a curated collection of blog posts in your inbox to sharpen your fundraising strategy all year long.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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Lindsey Baker Bower