philanthropic footprint of next gen donors in the Unites States will look like, capturing who they are, how they want to give, and what it all means. For the past several years, through both formal research and by engaging directly with these game‐changing leaders, we've learned about their experiences, their strategies, and their dreams.
As we talked around the country about the results of our first phase of next gen donor research, we heard strong interest from diverse audiences in knowing more about this pivotal group of donors.15 People are intrigued by the individuals who are starting to change the world of giving and nonprofits, and who promise to have such a major impact on our world in the coming years. Next gen donors themselves are eager to hear how others in similar roles are becoming the donors they want to be. And those who engage directly with next gen donors, such as fundraising teams and advisors, want insight into how they can best help these donors achieve the wide and deep impact they hope to have on our social issues, our communities, and our planet. This book is a direct response to that widespread interest.
As authors, we come to this work with different professional orientations and personal experiences with giving. Sharna brings the access and insights of a trusted insider – a next gen donor herself – and the field expertise of a consultant and specialist in next generation engagement and multigenerational philanthropy. Michael brings his many years of scholarship and formal research training and his expertise as holder of the world's first‐ever endowed chair of family philanthropy. We offer quantitative and qualitative research, as well as 40 years of combined experience with next gen donors and their families and advisors.
What we share is genuine curiosity about these rising donors and a firm belief that we must learn more about them at this historic juncture – both to understand the revolution they're bringing and to help all of us make the most of it. In this book, we show you what this new revolution will look like by going straight to the sources and hearing it in their own words. We bring you the voices of next gen donors who we believe speak to the shifting paradigm better than we ever could, and allow next gen donors to speak for themselves about themselves. The six donors you've been introduced to so far will be joined by a varied cast of seven others who share firsthand about their giving, many doing so publicly for the first time.
We also present insights we gathered from interviews and surveys of hundreds of other major next gen donors, including inheritors of family philanthropy and dot‐com millionaires; those who have become financial advisors and stay‐at‐home moms; activists who consider themselves “radical donors” and religious conservatives who give primarily to faith‐based causes; and some who are deeply engaged as professionals in this field as well as some who are just starting their philanthropic journeys. We intentionally sought to talk to donors interested in a range of causes, from health and education access to climate change and women's rights, and who give using a variety of vehicles and methods.
Throughout the book we also share what we've found to be most striking, surprising, concerning, or encouraging about the dreams and plans expressed by these earnest revolutionaries. We raise caution flags at times; we highlight reasons for hope at times. And then we offer what we think this means.
Taken together, the next gen voices and our commentary form a composite and compelling picture of a generation ascending to its historic role and an assessment of the Impact Revolution they want to lead.
Using This Book
We hope thoughtful readers interested in keeping up with today's trends and understanding the changing world will gain a better picture of the future we can all expect as these rising donors take the reins. You will get a sense of the likely impact of these next gen donors on your life, on the causes you also support, and on the organizations at the heart of your community.
Anyone working directly with this critical cohort of major donors – as well as the donors and their families – will find useful advice and insight here for making the most of this group's unprecedented potential to do good. Fundraisers and social entrepreneurs will learn how to attract next gen dollars for charitable, political, and religious causes and make next gen donors real partners in the work. Parents, peers, employers, wealth advisors, investment managers, and others will learn emerging best practices for guiding and helping these next gen donors as they make their mark on history. And we all will be better equipped to put this massive wealth to work in a way that makes a difference in a world with great need.
American society has experienced a long period of generational stability in the philanthropic world. The Traditionalists (born between 1925 and 1945) and the Baby Boomers (born between 1945 and 1965) have created and guided our key institutions for decades. But while we weren't looking, their children and grandchildren grew up. The future of philanthropy and the power to set the course of social change now rests in their hands. Let's see what they have in store.
PART ONE
The Impact Revolution
CHAPTER 2
Show Me the Impact
Picture a big thermometer, that well‐known symbol of many a fundraising campaign. Each donation is documented in red, pushing the “temperature” higher and higher toward the campaign's total dollar goal. That image might be a fitting symbol for a previous generation of givers, but it is the antithesis of what next gen donors want to be a part of today and going forward.
For one, the thermometer metaphor focuses solely on dollars given, not on the results and impact fostered by those donations. The thermometer also makes it seem like the only role donors can play is to give cash – or encourage others to do so. Next gen donors insist that they have valuable assets to give beyond money, and those assets are valuable because they leverage more impact. Rather than measuring their impact as a line in a fundraising budget, next gen donors want to measure the real difference all their contributions make on the causes they care about. Seeing real‐world impact is what gets them excited about giving.
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