Saturday, January 26, 2008
Communities and causes look to Xers, Ys for support
I recently attended a strategy session hosted by the Minneapolis Foundation. The Foundation invited in 25 young professionals representing the non-profit and for-profit communities in hopes of bridging the age gap in volunteerism.
The Minneapolis Foundation wants to engage the next generation of civic and business leaders in community activism and causes because -- not surprising -- the Foundation has realized an age difference among the volunteers and leaders that support the area’s non-profit initiatives.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to the Minneapolis area. While associations and non-profits worldwide have struggled to understand the generation gap, the younger generation has become annoyed and frustrated and either disengaged from community service completely or formed their own service opportunities.
There are currently more than 90 active Young Professional (YP) networks across the country, many of which boast thousands of members, and many which have a community cause at the root of their existence. YP organizations have been very influential in their respective communities, even going so far as to boost the local economy.
For example, Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM), now known as Fuel Milwaukee, has grown to more than 4,000 members and serves as an important attraction and retention initiative for the Milwaukee business and non-profit community.
In 2000, Milwaukee’s population had fallen from the twenty-fourth largest city-region to forty-third. Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce founded YPM to work with city and regional officials on an economic development initiative with the belief that a city influenced by young professionals is a city that can attract and retain young professionals.
The Boston Young Professionals Association (BYPA) hosts a variety of social and networking events, and professional and personal development seminars. Like Fuel Milwaukee, BYPA also focuses on a community perspective. Instead of economic development, however, BYPA focuses on charity benefits and volunteering.
The association created a partnership with the national On Your Feet Project. OYFP partners with nonprofits in large cities to facilitate active involvement among young adults in the areas of children's welfare, domestic violence, education, homelessness, personal/public health and environmental protection.
OYFP taps into BYPA's more than 10,000 young members to support local nonprofits chosen by OYFP and the BYPA board of directors. The fundraisers are far from the typical Boston black-tie event. The secret to their success is being "hip" and relevant to their younger audience, hosting a salsa event at a local dance club or bowling night at an all-night bowling alley.
SMASHED (Society of Mature Adults Seeking to Help, Entertain and Donate) evolved when a Washington, D.C. group of young professionals were inspired to raise $5,000 for a local charity. They decided the only way to truly get young professionals in the Washington, D.C. area involved was to make it fun and offer networking opportunities while ‘doing good’.
The most popular SMASHED event held each year is the Idiotarod, a spoof of the famous Alaskan dog sled race that involves more than 80 costume-clad teams zooming shopping carts throughout the streets of the nation's capital. Other events include the Rec Room Olympics, the ManPageant, and a citywide scavenger hunt. These events are set to raise more than $15,000 this year for Washington, D.C.-based charities.
The Hands on Network (HoN) in Atlanta was started in the 1980s by young professionals. Today, the HoN’s TeamWorks program is designed for volunteers age 25 to 35 who are seeking service opportunities in a long-term social setting. TeamWorks allows young professionals to meet like-minded individuals while volunteering to clean a homeless shelter, provide meals for the homeless, or paint a neighborhood health clinic.
What’s the difference between these young professional-driven initiatives in comparison to other non-profit and fundraising initiatives?
Young professionals tend to look for charities where they can immediately make a difference. They also look for opportunities that don't necessarily take a long commitment, what has become known as episodic volunteering. And above all, they want to enjoy what they are doing.
While Baby Boomers tend to be very involved in community causes, Generations X and Y aren’t jumping on the traditional bandwagon – not because they don’t have any interest in their communities, but because their expectations of engagement are considerably different from those of their predecessors.
Xers and Ys don’t want to attend long and numerous meetings, spend countless hours in service each month, or do mundane tasks. They want to be empowered as positive forces for change and observe the outcomes of that change – all within a reasonable amount of time so they can continue to tend to their careers, families, and busy personal lives.
Targeting young professionals as service leaders and philanthropists requires a different approach, but I think most non-profit and business leaders would agree their participation is essential and vital to the future of our communities.
The Minneapolis Foundation wants to engage the next generation of civic and business leaders in community activism and causes because -- not surprising -- the Foundation has realized an age difference among the volunteers and leaders that support the area’s non-profit initiatives.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to the Minneapolis area. While associations and non-profits worldwide have struggled to understand the generation gap, the younger generation has become annoyed and frustrated and either disengaged from community service completely or formed their own service opportunities.
There are currently more than 90 active Young Professional (YP) networks across the country, many of which boast thousands of members, and many which have a community cause at the root of their existence. YP organizations have been very influential in their respective communities, even going so far as to boost the local economy.
For example, Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM), now known as Fuel Milwaukee, has grown to more than 4,000 members and serves as an important attraction and retention initiative for the Milwaukee business and non-profit community.
In 2000, Milwaukee’s population had fallen from the twenty-fourth largest city-region to forty-third. Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce founded YPM to work with city and regional officials on an economic development initiative with the belief that a city influenced by young professionals is a city that can attract and retain young professionals.
The Boston Young Professionals Association (BYPA) hosts a variety of social and networking events, and professional and personal development seminars. Like Fuel Milwaukee, BYPA also focuses on a community perspective. Instead of economic development, however, BYPA focuses on charity benefits and volunteering.
The association created a partnership with the national On Your Feet Project. OYFP partners with nonprofits in large cities to facilitate active involvement among young adults in the areas of children's welfare, domestic violence, education, homelessness, personal/public health and environmental protection.
OYFP taps into BYPA's more than 10,000 young members to support local nonprofits chosen by OYFP and the BYPA board of directors. The fundraisers are far from the typical Boston black-tie event. The secret to their success is being "hip" and relevant to their younger audience, hosting a salsa event at a local dance club or bowling night at an all-night bowling alley.
SMASHED (Society of Mature Adults Seeking to Help, Entertain and Donate) evolved when a Washington, D.C. group of young professionals were inspired to raise $5,000 for a local charity. They decided the only way to truly get young professionals in the Washington, D.C. area involved was to make it fun and offer networking opportunities while ‘doing good’.
The most popular SMASHED event held each year is the Idiotarod, a spoof of the famous Alaskan dog sled race that involves more than 80 costume-clad teams zooming shopping carts throughout the streets of the nation's capital. Other events include the Rec Room Olympics, the ManPageant, and a citywide scavenger hunt. These events are set to raise more than $15,000 this year for Washington, D.C.-based charities.
The Hands on Network (HoN) in Atlanta was started in the 1980s by young professionals. Today, the HoN’s TeamWorks program is designed for volunteers age 25 to 35 who are seeking service opportunities in a long-term social setting. TeamWorks allows young professionals to meet like-minded individuals while volunteering to clean a homeless shelter, provide meals for the homeless, or paint a neighborhood health clinic.
What’s the difference between these young professional-driven initiatives in comparison to other non-profit and fundraising initiatives?
Young professionals tend to look for charities where they can immediately make a difference. They also look for opportunities that don't necessarily take a long commitment, what has become known as episodic volunteering. And above all, they want to enjoy what they are doing.
While Baby Boomers tend to be very involved in community causes, Generations X and Y aren’t jumping on the traditional bandwagon – not because they don’t have any interest in their communities, but because their expectations of engagement are considerably different from those of their predecessors.
Xers and Ys don’t want to attend long and numerous meetings, spend countless hours in service each month, or do mundane tasks. They want to be empowered as positive forces for change and observe the outcomes of that change – all within a reasonable amount of time so they can continue to tend to their careers, families, and busy personal lives.
Targeting young professionals as service leaders and philanthropists requires a different approach, but I think most non-profit and business leaders would agree their participation is essential and vital to the future of our communities.
Labels: Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y, Minneapolis Foundation, Young Professionals
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