My clients feel like there are so many barriers between what they can give, what they can do and who it will affect. They want to be able to see and measure how their gifts are making a unique impact and they want an interactive experience.
I think that is participation is key. Most of my clients do not buy things. They buy experiences and they share those experiences online. Giving is no different. They want to get to know those who benefit from the causes they support through blog posts. They want to repost what they learned. My millennial clients are not just financially supporting a charity because they believe in the cause … they are also getting the chance to participate in a shared shared experience. They want to remember how great they felt surrounded by friends who have common philanthropic goals and passion through pictures that are shared on social medial and commented on by those in their inner circle. Doing good becomes a social activity. They are investing in the shared experience.
Over the past 21 years I have been fortunate to sit on quite a few non profit boards and absolutely believe, if you can, to try and play it forward through some form of charitable gift. That is why I have chosen to ask my clients who want to leave monies to a charity in their estate plan to invest in the future of an organization rather than donate to a charity. This way they are not just investing their capital but they are investing emotionally and sharing with others that they should too.