Making the most of millenials

By Ryan Percy

Employees of non-profit organizations in Windsor are exploring different ways to to improve engagement with the millennial generation.

On Sept. 25, the University of Windsor Alumni Association hosted a philanthropy Lunch n’ Learn philanthropy luncheon. The main speaker was Sabrina Pourmand, an executive adviser to a number of charities around the globe. She talked about the information she gained as vice president of Key Relationships at charity: water.

A study from the Fraser Institute shows for the decade leading into 2014, Ontario saw the number of tax filers donating to charity drop by almost 20 per cent. The per cent of income donated also dropped almost 30 per cent during that time.

Pourmand said charities should be looking at how to engage with the new millennial generation and help to portray them as heroes while engaging with organizations to gain their funding.

“As an older demographic is now ageing out you need to find a new donor base, and [Millenials] want to be front and centre,” said Pourmand.

According to Statistics Canada’s Summary of Charitable Donors, the zero to 24 and 25 to 34 age brackets Millennials fall under have seen the largest increase in donations in Windsor. The average increase in Millennial donations rose by 34.5 per cent from 2012 to 2016. The average donation of the age brackets above Millennials only increased by 7.1 per cent during this time.

Lorraine Goddard, CEO of United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County, said they are working towards reaching out to inspire people by keeping their message simple and showing donors where their money is having an impact.

“We have millennials represented on our board of directors and its standing committees,” Goddard said. “We engage millennials through our Emerging Philanthropists program that connects millennial donors directly with the work of United Way through volunteering, giving, planning, networking and et cetera.”

The New Generation of Canadian Giving study from Hewitt & Johnston Consultants Inc. states Millenials want more transparency with an organization they donate to. The study also states Millennials were almost 70 per cent more likely to increase their donations than Generation X while being seven times more likely to begin supporting more charities in the next 12 months than Baby Boomers.

Development Officer Afshin Ali, 43, of the Downtown Mission said what she took away from Pourmand’s presentation was to keep your organization in contact with your donors, even if they only donate once a year.

“Every individual likes, not necessarily a thank you but the interaction,” Ali said. “Every dollar is a person.”