If the marketing strategy for your nonprofit’s fundraising events doesn’t include younger age groups, you’re missing out on a key audience of potential donors. According to Double the Donation, the average donor in the United States is 64 years old, so nonprofits tend to overlook younger generations, such as Millennials or Gen Z, as viable prospects when determining their fundraising strategy. However, nearly 80% of Millennials and people in even younger generations donate to charity.
Fostering the support of younger donors—which includes attracting them to your fundraising events—is crucial to your nonprofit’s bottom line. Let’s review four marketing strategies your nonprofit can employ to help your fundraisers appeal to younger donors and win their support over the long term.
1. Leverage Social Media Channels
Connecting with younger donors starts with meeting them where they are. A great way to reach young people where they’re already spending time is to cultivate a strong social media presence. Consider the following when creating your targeted social media strategy for fundraising events:
- Post on apps frequently used by younger generations. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram will likely get you the most visibility and engagement.
- Keep an eye on trends. Stay up-to-date on social media trends and leverage them to drive more views on your content.
- Use hashtags and branded content. These can help your content better reach interested viewers and your target audience.
- Work with influencers or micro-influencers. Influencers can help drum up interest for your fundraiser by reaching new audiences. Depending on your geographic area, it might be best for your nonprofit to work with micro-influencers in your local area. Reach out to micro-influencers who are related to your cause or fundraising event. For example, you might connect with a well-known golfer who lives in the area for a charity golf tournament.
- Track engagement. Use engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and impressions to see which channels and content perform well and adjust your strategy accordingly.
2. Offer Contests or Giveaways
Younger demographics might be more inclined to support your fundraiser with a contest, giveaway, or other marketing incentive. This idea complements the social media marketing strategies discussed above—for instance, you could encourage individuals in this target age group to share marketing posts with their networks. The original poster earns entries in the giveaway for each like or share the post gets.
As you plan out a giveaway strategy to market your fundraising event, use these tips to take it to the next level:
- Select prizes that resonate with younger audiences. Think about the types of prizes that would appeal to this age group. Reach out to sponsors to see if anyone is willing to donate an item like a new smart device, gift cards to local restaurants or breweries, tickets to a popular concert, or an airline or hotel voucher.
- Choose prizes related to the type of fundraiser you’re holding. Let’s say your nonprofit is putting on a charity golf tournament. You could raffle off new golf gear or equipment donated by a sponsor or local business. Choosing prizes that are connected to the event’s theme helps this age group engage with your fundraiser.
- Create tiered entry levels. Different tiers or levels encourage additional interest and participation. For example, you could provide two giveaway entries for every dollar donated while sharing your social media marketing posts generates one entry per post.
3. Highlight Stories of Impact
Demonstrating impact is crucial in any fundraising situation, but it’s especially important when appealing to younger age groups. These individuals are likely just starting or early in their philanthropic journey, so they may still be searching for a cause they’re passionate about. This is where impact reporting comes in handy—it opens the door for your nonprofit to make your case for support.
Your fundraising event’s marketing materials should showcase the beneficiaries of your organization’s work. There are plenty of ways to tell the stories that matter, from sharing clips of an interview on YouTube, posting infographics with data from your annual report on Instagram, or including testimonials in your event invitations. It’s a good idea to showcase impact at the fundraising event itself, perhaps by inviting beneficiaries to be present or speak about how they have been affected by your nonprofit.
When you’re collecting impact stories, it’s important to let the subjects know how their information will be used and to get their consent. They should be ok with the channels, messaging, and if their photos will be used, so be sure to lay it all out for them so they have trust in you throughout the process.
4. Use Digital Channels & Donation Options
Younger generations spend much of their lives online, so your fundraising event’s marketing strategy should reflect that. Digital channels are cost-effective options to reach this segment of your audience to promote the event and solicit donations.
An online fundraiser gives you a broad reach beyond your local geographic area. Consider adding an online component to your in-person event to expand its impact. Share the fundraiser and information about the event through digital channels like email campaigns, social media ads, your nonprofit’s website, partner websites, and sponsor outreach.
No matter what type of event you choose, online or in-person, you should always provide convenient digital ways for people to give that eliminates the hassle of keeping track of cash and receipts. For instance, if you’re holding a charity golf tournament, share the link to the event website in all your digital marketing campaigns. At the tournament, post QR codes that direct golfers to an event website where they can donate with just a few clicks. This keeps all your tournament accounting in one easy place.
Other digital donation tools also include:
- Tap-to-pay options at the in-person fundraiser
- Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Venmo
- Recurring payment plans
- Social media fundraising tools, such as Facebook and Instagram’s fundraising integrations
Ensure whichever platform or platforms you choose are secure and PCI-compliant so donors’ information remains safe and secure, and it’s available for you to access for post-event donor stewardship.
Next Steps
Whether you’re hosting a golf tournament, a gala, a benefit concert, or other fundraising event, engaging Millennials and members of Gen Z is important to secure your nonprofit’s future. The four tips in this guide are a great place to start. Keep the momentum going by analyzing your current event marketing strategies to see what has worked in the past, then brainstorming ways to adapt them to reach younger audiences.
Author: Logan Foote is the Sales and Education Manager at GolfStatus. He has been around the game of golf nearly his entire life. He first picked up a club at the age of four, and despite thousands of attempts, he’s never had a hole-in-one. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and pursued a career in sales.