Did you know those great Fundraising ideas can also include––and should––grandparents? Classy created an excellent infographic that broke down generational giving. And, here is some of that insight.

• Generation X represents 20 percent of total gifts to charity and 28.9 percent of this group volunteer with organizations.
• Boomers represent 43 percent of giving to nonprofits and 25.7 percent of this segment of the population volunteers with charitable groups.
• GenX donors are the top givers to health services, animal rights and welfare, and environmental protection causes.
• 48 percent of Boomers donate to religious organizations.

How can you get grandparents, whether they are from GenX or Baby Boomers involved in your fundraising and engagement efforts?

Get the grand-kids involved: The biggest thing that nonprofits have to remember if they are looking to engage grandparents is that grandparents love their grandchildren. Most grandparents want to spend quality time with their grandkids or help support them in some way. Therefore, creating opportunities for grandparents to have special time with their grandchildren is a great way to engage these particular grown-ups.

Many events can be created for grandparents and grandchildren, and only your imagination limits you. Some of these events can include, parties, plays, or cultural field trips with some grandparents planning the trips and others serving as chaperones.

Create a grandparent/child program and committee: We know that there is a difference between fundraising and what is called in the business “development.” Development means you want to create relationships with donors. And, to accomplish this, many organizations create donor programs––whatever the cause.

Create a grandparent/child donor program at your organization which is targeted to grandparents (or the grandchild) and then ask members of the targeted generational group to recruit the other generation to support a common cause. For instance, let’s say you want to target Millennials. Create a Millennials/Grandparents fundraising program and committee. Ask Millennials to ask their grandparents to join them on this particular committee, so they have the opportunity to work together for a common cause. Then ensure there are several events grandparents can participate in together during the year alongside their grandchildren.

Get volunteers: According to the Classy infographic, people in the Generation X group are twice as likely to donate to an organization if they become volunteers. So, a golden opportunity exists to create an event that gets grandparents to partner with their grandkids toward a particular goal or outcome for a good cause.

Shoe drive fundraising is an excellent way to get grandchildren and grandparents to partner together in a way that is fun and engaging. You can do a fundraiser for your organization that does not involve asking anyone for money or asking people to sell items such as candy or cookie dough for you. All you have to do is to ask teams of grandparents and grandkids to collect gently worn, used and new shoes. The more shoes collected, the more money your nonprofit or school makes. And, in the process, you get grandparents and their grandchildren connected and active, together, for your cause.

Ask grandparents to serve on major donor or board committees: If Millennials are part of your organization, you can make a special push to have them recruit their grandparents to serve as major donors or even as board members. Simply take a look at your database and segment the list grouping Millennials. Develop a plan of action to ask them to help you recruit their grandparents because the older generations can help them leverage their own donations and support of your cause.

In this instance, there’s no need to create a program per se. All you have to do is know your donors who are in their late teens, 20’s and early 30’s and cultivate them. Work with them individually or as a group to get their Grandparents Involved to help them make an even bigger impact for your cause. Again, according to the Classy infographic, 84 percent of Millennial employees donated to charity in 2014 and 60 percent of Generation Z want to make a difference. By partnering with their grandparents, they can exponentially increase their charitable impact.

Find Out More About Grand-Parent Engagement

To learn more about getting parents involved in your school, nonprofit or civic group, watch Joe’s video and listen to what he has to say about getting grandparents involved by clicking here. 

To learn more about marketing and fundraising, please follow Joe on our Facebook page or visit our YouTube channel.

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