Millennials connect with organizations, get involved by volunteering, and give financially to organizations for which they care. This Creative Solutions & Innovations post describes the importance of getting millennials involved with your nonprofit & shares a case study from The Shepherd Center.

1. “Millennials connect with organizations, get involved by volunteering, and give financially to
organizations for which they care.” Achieve’s 2013 Millennial Impact Report
This year’s Achieve Millennial Impact Report gathered information from an online survey distributed to
Millennials through 14 research partners, and, for the first time, conducted usability testing of nine
nonprofits’ online presence that included video feedback.
This report provides a very comprehensive guide for organizations to better understand this
generation, immerse them in their causes, and maximize the impact of their interest, time, and giving.
Almost three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) said they’re interested in participating in a nonprofit
young professional group. According to the report, the top three motivations of Millennials for getting
involved are:
1. Passion (79 percent)
2. Meeting people (56 percent)
3. Expertise (46 percent).
The report outlines three levels of millennial engagement:
 Inviting: No matter its size or the resources at its disposal, every organization can adopt the
strategies and culture changes to take the first step to connect and involve Millennials.
 Immersion: Organizations that reach the benchmarks of this level have designed programs with
Millennials, not just for them. At this stage, Millennials are actively participating in unique ways
to help the cause enhance awareness and outreach efforts in the community.
 The ultimate goal: Provide leadership, service and truly transformational opportunities for
Millennials to affect the direction and impact the community.

2. Millennials can have a major impact on your nonprofit’s fundraising success through special events.
Nearly 70 percent of Millennials are willing to raise money on behalf of a nonprofit they care about and
peer fundraising is “highly attractive,” while 73 percent said they volunteered.
My favorite example of a successful special event planned and executed by Millennials is Derby Day, a
special event that is held as the name suggests yearly on the Kentucky Derby. Derby Day is planned by
Shepherd Center’s Junior Committee, which is composed of more than 200 young professionals who are
between 25-34 years old.
The event attracts more than 1,000 people each year, as well as hundreds of sponsors. This group of
young professionals has contributed more than $4.5 million to date toward a wide variety of Recreation
Therapy projects and programs benefitting Atlanta’s Shepherd Center.
Do you have any favorite events run by young professionals? We’d love to hear from you!