Generational Giving: Gen Z Giving Trends, Preferences, & Patterns

Who are Gen Z donors?

Generation Z, or Gen Z, has caught the interest of the philanthropic sector! Known for their activism, fundraisers are eager to connect with this up and coming generation. The Generational Giving Report is your guide to connecting, engaging, and stewarding your Gen Z supporters.  

For this report, only members of Gen Z that were over the age of 18 were polled, making Gen Z survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 27 years old. Most members of Gen Z will donate between $5 and $55 in 2024 mostly through a credit or debit card. It is important to note Gen Z is the second most likely generation to donate through a digital wallet, trailing right behind Gen X. Types of organizations that Gen Z is the most likely to support are human services, health services, community development, and human and civil rights missions. 

How do Gen Z donors connect with nonprofits?

Members of Gen Z are learning about nonprofits through their social networks, including their family, friends, peers, and coworkers. Gen Z is also discovering nonprofits to support through Instagram, Google, and through personal connections with nonprofit staff. 52% of Gen Z supporters are subscribed to a nonprofit’s email list, and this generation is most excited to read about program updates, new initiatives, and client stories.

The Generational Giving Report also found that Gen Z is ready to make a big impact! 51% volunteer their time (the second highest of any generation), 56% are willing to be peer-to-peer fundraisers, and they’re the generation most interested in fundraising events.

How do you retain Gen Z donors and supporters?

Gen Z wants to receive non-fundraising updates monthly from the organizations they support. Non-fundraising updates are communications from an organization that do not include a solicitation for financial contribution and can include program and general updates or a monthly newsletter. After making a donation, Gen Z wants to stay in touch with the nonprofits they support through email and social media. 

The Generational Giving Report also found that 11% of Gen Z has intentionally stopped donating to a nonprofit organization.  The top reasons? They no longer felt connected to the organization, or they didn’t trust that their donation was being used wisely. So, communicate regularly and transparently with your Gen Z supporters to keep them engaged, build trust, and retain their support.

Top 3 strategies to engage with Gen Z donors and supporters

Using the findings and trends for Gen Z in the Generational Giving Report, fundraisers can get ahead of the giving and stewardship preferences of this hip generation. Here are the 3 top strategies to get and stay connected with members of Gen Z:

1. Provide opportunities to amplify their impact.

Members of Gen Z are excited to have a large, hands-on impact at the organizations they care about. Members of this generation make great volunteers and peer-to-peer fundraisers. Gen Z not having a large amount of disposable income is not stopping them from making a splash at their favorite causes. 51% of Gen Z have volunteered their time at a nonprofit, and 56% are willing to participate in a peer-to-peer fundraiser! members of Gen Z enjoy feeling like they’re making a difference, and they enjoy supporting the causes they care about. Offer DIY fundraising and exciting volunteer opportunities to keep them engaged long-term.

2. Invite Gen Z to fundraising events.

It can easily be assumed Baby Boomers and Gen X are ideal event attendees, and Gen Z can be overlooked when creating an event invite list. In the Giving Report we found that Gen Z is the generation most excited about in-person fundraising events and the generation most excited to read about fundraising events in updates from an organization. This generation is eager and excited to gather in person! Fundraising events are a great place to foster that bond with Gen Z!

3. Encourage Gen Z to subscribe to your email list and newsletter.

Only 52% of Gen Z is subscribed to receive updates from the nonprofits they support. The average subscription rate among the other generations is over 60%. The best way to increase subscription rates is to ask supporters to subscribe immediately after donating. Sharing ways to subscribe on social media and on your Facebook or Instagram stories can be especially successful with Gen Z! Ensuring that supporters are subscribed to receive updates is important to ensure important messages from your organization are getting to your supporters.

Final thoughts

The findings for Gen Z, especially their passion for fundraising events, are exciting to see! Staying ahead of generational preferences is the best way to set an organization up for success. To learn more about ways to engage with Gen Z and donors from all generations, get your copy of the Generational Giving Report!