As fundraisers woo baby boomers and millennials, they sometimes neglect Generation X, born from 1965 to 1980. However, giving experts say those donors are poised to become increasingly important to nonprofits. Here’s a case study of a charity that’s paying Gen X some attention and seeing results.
In 2014, the Associated, a nearly century-old Baltimore Jewish federation, made a risky decision about a fundraising gala. Throwing its first-ever big party for young supporters, it chose as the venue a downtown casino, a two-story affair with more than 2,000 slot machines.
It was an unorthodox move for a faith-based charity. But the roll of the dice drew raves from the charity’s Generation X and millennial supporters. Last year, the event returned to the casino and raised more than $8,000 for the federation’s annual fund, more than twice the take from the previous year’s party.
This gala experiment was part of a broad effort by the Associated to reach out to members of younger generations, who are likely to be more secular than their parents. That’s a fundraising challenge facing all faith-based nonprofits and congregations — 28 percent of Gen Xers report no religious affiliation, according to the Pew Research Center.
The Associated is trying to appeal to younger people by meeting their needs in a number of ways: as parents, as professionals, and as couples. “The main thing is activities for their children,” says Marisa Ezrine, director of IMPACT, the organization’s division for supporters aged 22 to 45. “But we also want to create activities for them as a couple. What’s going to cause them to get a babysitter? What’s exciting? What gets them out of the house?”
The strategy has helped the federation hold its annual-fund totals steady: It raised $30.6 million in fiscal year 2015, compared with $30 million the previous year. More important for its future, giving by donors under 46 has climbed by roughly 10 percent each year, says Ms. Ezrine.
The charity gives Gen X and millennial professionals the chance to rub elbows with Baltimore business leaders through programs like its Young Leadership Council, which grooms members for board responsibilities.
Though the council is decades old, the Associated has increased its emphasis on networking to appeal to the rising generations. “That is something the Associated can provide for people: being a door-opener in their professional worlds,” says Ms. Ezrine.
Another popular Associated program among Gen Xers: the Pearlstone Center, a retreat and educational farm outside Baltimore that each year hosts an annual summer camp and six “family farm days,” to which parents bring their youngsters to walk the grounds, pet the baby goats, and get their faces painted.
It’s an immersive way for young kids to experience Judaism via nature and green living. “Ten years ago, that never would have happened,” says Ms. Ezrine. “But that’s in response to a lot of people saying, ‘I want to be Jewish my way.’"
IMPACT’s annual gala, for instance, takes place on a Saturday night, “which is outside the box for the Jewish community,” she says.
The casino setting of the last two IMPACT galas doesn’t offend the Associated’s older supporters, says Michelle Gordon, the federation’s chief of staff. Instead, they enjoy the new energy the events generate.
“They say they love walking into a room and seeing all these young people there. It gives them hope for the future, as opposed to thinking the organization is just going to wither away when they leave,” Ms. Gordon says. “They know there’s a renewal, that there will be a next generation to take their place.”
