Volunteerism and Charitable Giving among the Millennial Generation: How to Attract and Retain Millennials

Author

Eniko Eva Baranyi, Kennesaw State University

Date of Award

Spring 2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Department

Political Science

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations play an important role in today’s society. These organizations provide support to many in need and fill voids left by the governmental services. For nonprofit organizations to work efficiently and effectively, these organizations need to be able to attract and retain volunteers and donors from all walks of life. A young generation, called the Millennials, is one group that can provide the needed support for these organizations. This group includes people born after 1980, with many of them currently in college. This upcoming generation will be great long term support for the nonprofit sector and it is important to engage them early and with the right tools. The literature on the Millennials and their volunteering and donation attitudes is extensive, but many argue that further research is necessary.

For this reason, the purpose of this research is to aid nonprofit organizations to better understand their volunteers and donors, especially a new, upcoming generation of donors, the Millennials generation. The research is focused on the characteristics, attitudes, and values of the Millennials. Furthermore, the current cross sectional study provides information on communication, volunteering and financial contribution preferences of the Millennials. The research project takes place at Kennesaw State University, a local, large higher education institution, during the Spring semester of 2011. In total, 234 current students participated in the study, by filling out a survey questionnaire. The results of the study indicate that Millennials are engaged with nonprofit organizations. This young generation finds volunteering and donating to nonprofit organizations very important. Furthermore, the research findings indicate that nonprofit organizations should engage the Millennials on multiple levels of communication and involvement.