Bridging the Volunteer Generation Gap

City of Walnut Creek

April 21, 2016 @JFFixler JFFixlerGroup

I don’t know how to Seriously? You give feedback when expect me to turn my he is so much older What do you mean I phone off during my than I am. can’t work from shift? home on Fridays?

They just need to be patient and pay their dues. They’ll have I can’t believe the I keep getting emails their chance at a way he dresses! from my employees leadership role in at 1:30 in the due time. morning. I am worried about their health!

Baby Boomers 1946 – 1964 80 Million

Generation X 1965 – 1980 45 Million

Millennials (Generation Y) 1981 – 2000 83 Million

 Practical, patient, loyal, hardworking  Have difficulty with change  Respectful of authority  Rule followers  Rewards later  Prefer structure  Have strong work values and ethic Engaging the Traditionalists  Silent stoicism (not Generation much feedback given or Offer opportunities for them to mentor expected) Show them that you value their expertise and contributions

 The “Me” generation Engaging the Baby Boomer  Teamwork and Generation cooperation  Don’t always accept Help them explore their next set of options and demonstrate how your change organization can continue to use their  Career oriented talents  More hours equals Walk the talk on work-life balance by better performance redesigning positions to  “Love the good life” accommodate multiple life demands  Expect job performance feedback Encourage them to enrich their present position and grow in place  Seeking encore careers

 Confident/self-reliant Engaging Generation X  Adaptable to change Talk to them about their reputation,  Skeptical not just job tasks; they want your  Risk-taking candid perspective and feedback  Want recognition Acknowledge their ability to work  Balance work and life independently and encourage them to  The most well educated leverage their entrepreneurial abilities generation at their time Help them get the most out of every  Goal oriented position by discussing what the job  Free Agents vs. can do for them and what they can Company Loyalist learn from it  Thrive on independence  Want to be challenged

 Value independence  Optimistic and hopeful  Reluctant to commit  Look for new challenges Engaging Millennials  Challenge the status quo Demonstrate the stability and long-  “We’re all in this term value of your organization; show together” how your organization is flexible and  Want the opportunity to filled with learning opportunities for make an impact them  Fear boredom Make groups and teams part of their  Meaningful work position  Value diversity  Value change  Globally connected

Percentage Hours of Value of Number that Generation that Volunteer Volunteer Volunteered Volunteered Service Service

Millennials 21.7% 15.7 Million 1.6 Billion $36.5 Billion

Generation X 29.4% 20.9 Million 2.3 Billion $53.9 Billion

Boomers 27.2% 19.9 Million 2.8 Billion $63.9 Billion

Older Adults 20.0% 10.7 Million 2.0 Billion $45.7 Billion

Traditionalists : • 25% of total giving in the U.S. • Tend to support a few charities and remain loyal to them • Generally respond best to direct mail and in-person fundraising

Boomers • Comprise 34% of donors and give 43% of all money contributed by individuals; represents the largest donor group for in the near future • Enjoy serving in volunteer leadership roles • Direct mail and online giving are preferred ways of supporting organizations; tend to like multi-year payment structures.

Generation X • Likes to give if it’s made easy for them. • Many also support organizations through workplace giving. • Want to understand results, impact, and return on their “investment” Millennials • Act impulsively both in determining to whom and how much to give and in ways to volunteer; 42% chose to donate to “whatever inspired them at the moment” (according to the 2012 Millennial Impact Report) • Generally focused on a cause or issue rather than a specific charity • Technology is preferred communication method; give via mobile devices or online giving sites and promote their involvement through social media From Blackbaud’s “Next Generation of American Giving Report” JFFixler Group © 2016 Boomer Research Findings

Boomers’ 2005-07 expectations and hopes around retirement • Optimistic about retirement • Most planned to work in retirement (79%) • Volunteering and service interwoven with retirement • Knew what would make volunteering attractive

Skills!

• Boomer men valued using their skills • Boomer women valued gaining new skills • Boomers were twice as likely as younger volunteers to pass on an opportunity if not a good fit VolunteerMatch Great Expectations Research JFFixler Group © 2016 Disconnect

What What Boomers organizations wanted offered

Recruiting Recognition Retention

• Emphasize • Status • Show they are organization’s • Professional making significant values, people development contributions focus, and impact on • Public • Provide challenging the community • Personalized work • Communicate how • Increasing levels of • Publicly recognize their skills will be responsibility their accomplish- utilized ments • Participation in • Provide positions creating initiatives • Invite them to do with opportunities for and program training and/or impact and results development presentations to the board or community • Develop career ladders

Personalize Provide career Demonstrate opportunities building impact and make them opportunities flexible

Use of Be open and Like to work in technology is transparent groups mandatory

Recruiting Recognition Retention

• Talk about the • Freedom is the • Do not micromanage creative environment ultimate reward • Give candid, timely • Offer diverse work feedback experiences • Encourage informal, • Emphasize future open communication plans and how they • Use technology to can contribute to communicate them • Provide learning opportunities

Leadership Inviting

Tangible Transparency

Social Connectivity

Solution-Inspired Environment

Recruiting Recognition Retention

• Provide • Provide work that • Provide good opportunities to learn has meaning for support and new things them structure • Provide diverse work • Measure and share • Communicate clear experiences impact of their efforts objectives • Mentor them – • Emphasize their and/or provide ability to make a networking difference opportunities • Use technology to deliver information • Provide interesting, meaningful work • Have realistic retention goals

Engage with causes to help people, not institutions.

Are influenced by the decisions and behaviors of their peers.

Treat their time, money, and assets as having equal value.

Need to experience the cause’s work without having to be on site.

Baby Traditionalists Gen Xers Millennials Boomers • Build a • Build a • Build a • Build legacy stellar portable parallel career career careers

JFFixler Group © 2016 Resources from JFFixler Group Webinars Successful Volunteer Free – Ready-to-use Engagement Tools & Templates Free – InnoVate Blog May 24, 2016 JFFixler.com/Blog JFFixler.com/Tools The Abundant Not-for-Profit May 25, 2016

The Lifecycle of a Volunteer Free – Innovative Free – Articles Volunteer Strategies June 16, July 21, and August 4 JFFixler.com/JFFixler-Group- With Verified Volunteers E-newsletter Articles JFFixler.com/Newsletter High Impact Volunteer Engagement August 24, 2016 Publications Webinars JFFixler.com/free-jffixler- JFFixler.com/Publications group-webinars Strategic Planning for Volunteer Engagement September 21, 2016