{"id":8923,"date":"2017-01-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-04T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=8923"},"modified":"2024-05-08T20:54:37","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T20:54:37","slug":"latest-2016-millennial-impact-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/latest-2016-millennial-impact-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media, Activism & Other Engagement Trends From The 2016 Millennial Impact Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Millennials, the demographic of adults born between 1980 and 2000, represent the newest generation of donors, volunteers, advocates, and leaders for your nonprofit or charity.<\/p>\n

As a millennial myself, I\u2019ve been somewhat disheartened by the constant onslaught of negative opinions about our generation (how \u201cmillennial\u201d of me). We\u2019re generally thought of as entitled, idealistic, and flighty in nature.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re known to jump from job to job, brand to brand, and cause to cause without loyalty. On the other hand, studies have also shown we\u2019re passionate, positive, and work well in a team setting. We follow our gut and aim to lead a more fulfilling life.<\/p>\n

With such conflicting ideas of who a typical \u201cmillennial\u201d really is, it\u2019s great to have a resource like the Millennial Impact Report.<\/p>\n

Over the past year, we’ve seen 3 waves of reports covering topics ranging from political leanings to faith in the government and everything in between. And while most of the trends and statistics shared in these studies are related to the 2016 presidential campaign, the findings are absolutely relevant to any charitable organization.<\/p>\n

From our own experience at CauseVox<\/a>, we\u2019ve had thousands of millennials donors, fundraisers, volunteers, and advocates use our platform to help make the world a better place. We\u2019ve seen firsthand just how philanthropic, energetic, and involved this generation can be.<\/p>\n

You may be thinking \u201cWhy should I <\/em>care about millennials?<\/em><\/a> We have a large, active donor base of Generation X and Baby Boomers. Millennials don\u2019t fit our demographic.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

To this I say, just wait a few years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Millennials are the supporters you\u2019ll be relying on in the future to keep your organization funded. We\u2019re your future board members and major donors and it\u2019s vital to understand us and bring us into the fold early on.<\/p>\n

“Millennials are your future board members and major donors and it\u2019s vital to understand us…”<\/em> <\/i>tweet this<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

We\u2019re not that complicated. I swear! To prove it, let\u2019s look at some takeaways from the 2016 Trends Reports.<\/p>\n

1. Millennials Care About Social Issues<\/h2>\n

We saw that education and health care remained the first and second-highest social issues of interest for millennials, but employment\/wages edged out the economy as the third-highest issue of interest [during Wave 2]. We also learned that there are many social issues that matter to millennials. The millennials surveyed ranked employment, healthcare, employment\/wages as their highest priorities.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Millennials
Millennials Impact Report Wave 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Findings changed a bit during the Wave 3 research period (September through November), mirroring trends from Wave 1. As we neared the election, millennials shifted their focus back to the economy.<\/p>\n

When you consider the state of United States politics and the economy, it\u2019s easy to understand why these social issues matter to young adults. Coming of age in a time of economic depression, our generation has bared the burden of low\/underpaid employment and rising costs for higher education and healthcare.<\/p>\n

These issues matter to millennials because they hit home. They\u2019re issues many of us are struggling with ourselves.<\/p>\n

If your nonprofit or charity works in some of the fields millennials tend to be more passionate about (check out the chart for detailed information), then by all means, reach out to us! We\u2019re likely to understand the cause and want to be part of the solution as a volunteer or even donor.<\/p>\n

Takeaway: Show your millennial audience how your cause impacts them and those closest to them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Millennials Still Use Social Media Frequently<\/h2>\n

Facebook is still the most popular social media platform on which millennials post about issues they care for, and the majority of millennials had posted about an issue on social media in the past week.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Millennials<\/p>\n

We discussed millennial\u2019s social media usage in a previous post<\/a>, but this is information worth repeating and expanding on.<\/p>\n

As you can see from each wave of the 2016 report, millennials use a wide variety of social media platforms, but Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are, overwhelmingly, the preferred platforms for male millennials to post about a cause they care about.<\/p>\n

Female millennials take a different approach, with the vast majority using Facebook, and relatively even numbers utilizing the social power of other platforms.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While males are more proactive\/responsive in their approach to social issues\/causes on social media, this doesn\u2019t mean you should target your posts to a primarily male audience. Remember that women make 64% of all donations.<\/a> Thus, if you\u2019re marketing a fundraising campaign using social media, stick to Facebook to maximize your reach and potential response.<\/p>\n

Takeaway: When marketing your organization to millennials on social media, use Facebook.<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Millennials Consider Themselves Activists<\/h2>\n

Millennials still consider themselves activists, but without showing a strong affinity for direct action in support of or opposition to an issue.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"2016<\/p>\n

More than half of all millennials surveyed consider themselves an activist, meaning your nonprofit or charity must create opportunities for millennials to advocate and act for your cause.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that researchers noted that the label “activist” didn’t necessarily correlate with an affinity for direct action. The problem here may lie in the activism and advocacy opportunities available to millennials.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, millennials may not have the money to give to your cause just yet, but they do have a voice. Thankfully, social media has made it easy (and convenient) for millennials to share your cause with others.<\/p>\n

An additional point to keep in mind is the gender disparity when it comes to activism. As you can see from the chart below, males consider themselves activists at higher levels than women. This can be interpreted a number of ways, but it’s important to keep in mind as you brainstorm ways to turn your millennial supporters into activists.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here are a few ways that you can engage millennials through activism:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
      \n
    1. \n