What comes to mind when you think of Gen Z? Tik tok dances, ever-changing lingo, and fashion that takes us right back to the 90s? What might not initially come to mind–but is just as true–is that Gen Z is a tech-savvy, socially conscious generation characterized by a strong desire for authenticity, social impact, and transparency. As they come of age, their unique perspectives and values are reshaping the philanthropic landscape, no cap.
Understanding and connecting with Gen Z donors will be essential for your nonprofit to build lasting relationships with this upcoming (and generous!) generation so your organization can ensure future fundraising success. Here are 8 ways to engage them (that don’t include learning Tik Tok dances!)
1. Understand and Reflect Their Values
Gen Z donors care deeply about social justice, environmental sustainability, and inclusivity. They’re all about making a positive impact on the world through their actions and the causes they support. To connect with them, show how your mission and programs align with these values. Be transparent and authentic in your marketing, storytelling, and direct engagement, and you’ll resonate with their desire for real, meaningful change.
2. Be Authentic and Transparent
We found that the #1 barrier for Gen Z donors is understanding where and how their donation will be used. One way to demonstrate to your Gen Z donors that your organization is able to be trusted is by maintaining transparency in your finances and communications.
Start by regularly updating your supporters with clear and honest information about how funds are used and the impact they’re making. Sharing detailed reports (adding graphics is a plus), success stories, and even challenges you face make your organization relatable and real.
Another way to demonstrate transparency is to make sure your financial records are accessible and easy to understand like in an annual report. Consider using platforms like Guidestar to earn your “Seal of Transparency,” giving Gen Z confidence in your organization and mission.
3. Use the Right Communications Platforms
As a tech savvy generation that grew up with social media, Gen Z is very active on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Creating an effective social media strategy will be essential to engaging with Gen Z. To connect with Gen Z on social media, focus on creating authentic and relatable content. They appreciate posts that feel genuine and personal, and follow the trends. Share behind-the-scenes looks, success stories, and real-time updates both through photos, stories, and reels.
Well Aware using a GRWM (Get Ready With Me) reel to promote their Shower Strike campaign
4. Create Engaging Content
When creating video content, live streams, or interactive posts, keep things engaging and authentic. Short, impactful videos are a fantastic fundraising tool to use across social media, your website, and your fundraising pages. Start with a clear, attention-grabbing hook to draw people in and keep the content relatable by speaking directly to your audience.
Move For Freedom used a short, powerful video on their fundraising page.
For live streams, be personable and interact with viewers in real-time—answer their questions and acknowledge their comments to build a sense of community.
In interactive posts, use fun features like polls or quizzes to encourage participation and gather feedback. And remember, the more genuine and transparent you are, the more your audience will connect with your message.
Ally Global Instagram stories featuring polls to gain donor/user feedback
5. Personalize Your Approach
Connecting with Gen Z donors means embracing personalized communication. To really resonate with this generation, use tools and techniques that allow you to customize your outreach—think personalized emails, targeted social media ads, and content that speaks directly to their passion for social change.
CauseVox makes this easy in your fundraising efforts by letting you craft unique experiences tailored to your supporters. You can create flexible donation forms, engaging campaign pages, and peer-to-peer fundraising pages, all designed to connect with donors on a personal level. This kind of customization helps you stand out and build stronger, meaningful, and lasting relationships with your supporters.
6. Showcase Impact Clearly
Gen Z’s are moved to give when they know how their dollar is being used. Consider including donation tiers on your donation form to effectively demonstrate how their donation will make an impact and where their money is going.
Ally Global’s Move For Freedom Donation Tiers
Including impact metrics like Well Aware did in their campaign is another powerful way to demonstrate to Gen Z donors the impact of their donation.
Gen Z donors, like other donors, also are moved by genuine stories of success. They love seeing the tangible impact of their contributions and are inspired by real-world results. In fact, 39% of donors say testimonials from beneficiaries would boost their likelihood to donate. Highlighting these stories not only builds trust but also shows that your organization is genuinely making a difference, which really resonates with their values and desire for meaningful change.
7. Innovate With Fundraising
To really connect with Gen Z donors and get them excited about fundraising, try tapping into crowdfunding, peer-to-peer fundraising, and gamification.
Crowdfunding is great because it lets you reach a huge audience quickly, especially with the power of social sharing. By using social media to spread the word, you can attract donations from all kinds of people. Plus, it doesn’t just raise money fast—it also creates a strong sense of community and shared purpose among your supporters.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is all about getting your donors to rally their own friends and networks to support your cause, making it more personal and expansive. In fact, when approached by friends or family, 75% of donors are more inclined to contribute.
As an already well connected generation, peer-to-peer fundraising is great for Gen Z donors because it lets them use their social networks to support causes they care about. It not only spreads the word further but also builds a strong sense of community and personal connection among their friends and followers. We even have a free checklist for your organization to help you mobilize and support your peer-to-peer fundraisers so you can maximize your impact!
Ally Global Foundation’s peer-to-peer fundraiser, they had over 1300 individuals donate to their 200+ peer-to-peer participants.
And then there’s gamification, which puts the fun in fundraising. This includes adding challenges, rewards, and leaderboards to make the whole process more engaging and interactive. These methods fit perfectly with Gen Z’s digital habits and love for community-driven, engaging experiences. Spur Local raised over $1 million dollars during their GivingTuesday campaign last year. One of the tools they used was leaderboards which encouraged donors to make a donation in a short amount of time to have a chance at winning a prize.
Spur Local’s Power Hour Leaderboard
You can also involve your donors in an experience as part of their peer-to-peer fundraising journey. Consider Well Aware’s campaign, Shower Strike, which asks fundraisers to stop showering for a week in an effort to raise awareness and money to build wells. Alongside this, the Shower Strike campaign also included automated matching and an easy-to-access fundraising toolkit for their peer-to-peer fundraisers. All of these aspects made fundraising–and giving–easy and exciting.
Automated matching with Shower Strike.
Finally, something incredibly important to consider is making sure you’re giving methods that align with your donors’ preferences. 75% of donors are more likely to make a donation if the giving process is easy, and that is especially true for Gen Z donors. Make sure you have mobile wallets activated on your donation page to make giving quick and seamless.
Including easy giving methods–like PayPal, Venmo, and ApplePay–is essential for the younger generation who prefer quick giving with as few steps as possible.
8. Build A Community
Building a sense of community and belonging is key to engaging Gen Z. They thrive on connection and want to feel like they’re part of something bigger. To foster this, create online and offline spaces where they can interact, share ideas, and support your cause. This could be through social media groups, community events, or interactive forums.
A Day At The Races is a fun event where supporters can get involved, connect, and make meaningful change!
Another great way to get Gen Z donors involved is by offering volunteer opportunities. They love hands-on experiences and making a direct impact. By providing volunteer roles, you not only engage them in your cause but also help them to take action and see the difference they’re making firsthand.
Lasting Engagement
Gen Z is redefining the world of philanthropy with their unique perspectives and strong desire for authenticity, transparency, and meaningful change. To build lasting relationships and ensure future fundraising success, it’s essential to connect with this generation on their terms. Download our donor retention playbook for free below to discover effective strategies for retaining this important, change making generation.
