 MY
NICHOLS’ WORTH
Engaging Our Youngest Adults
Judith E. Nichols, Ph.D., CFRE
It’s the futurist’s first rule: You can’t understand the
future without demographics. The composition of a society –
whether its citizens are old or young, prosperous or declining,
rural or urban – shapes every aspect of civic life, from
politics, economics, and culture to the kinds of products,
services, and businesses that are likely to succeed or fail.
Demographics isn’t destiny, but it’s close cautions author
Andrew Zolli, in “Demographics: The Population
Hourglass”, Fast Company magazine, March 2006.
Because most of us see the world from our own age perspective,
many development officers are not aware that younger adults make
up a significant proportion of the developed world’s population:
-
If you’re 30, you’re older than
42 percent of Americans, including those 72 million Americans
born between 1977 and 1994 who are passing out of their teens.
In fact, more than 20 percent of this cohort has reached 21
years of age.
-
The under-30 cohort represents
about 22% of the European population. There are approximately
50 million people in Europe between ages 15 and 24; 30 million
more are between 25 and 29.
-
Twenty-five percent of Canada’s
population of 32,270 is under 30. Approximately 20 percent
have reached 21 years of age.
In
Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (Vintage Books
2000) authors Neil Howe and William Strauss note that
“As a group, Millenials (also called Generation Y or Net)
are unlike any other youth generation in living memory. They are
more numerous, more affluent, better educated, and more
ethnically diverse.” The "civic" children of boomers, holds many
of the values of an earlier generation: a sense of civic duty, a
focus on achievement, and a strong moral compass. Like their
grandparents, they prize loyalty,
Similar values are found in young adults throughout the world.
Writing in the March 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review,
William McEwen and co-authors note in “Inside the Mind of the
Chinese Consumer” that “China’s Generation Y has increasing
drive, hopes, and demands; it is a highly literate and
information-savvy group that refuses to be taken for granted.
These young adults are open to Western ideas and products, yet
still proudly supportive of their own culture.”
Indeed, Generation Y (and the youngest of Generation X) has more
in common with their peers throughout the world than with their
parent’s generation as noted in the Futurist’s
May-June 2005 issue:
- The
under-20 cohort is remaining in school longer and taking
longer to enter the workforce than before.
-
Generation X is starting new businesses at an unprecedented
rate.
- The
younger millennial generation is proving to be even more
business-oriented, caring for little but the bottom line.
- Many in
generation X are economically conservative.
While it may be
too early to tell all the events in their lives that will shape
them, it is likely that technology and a world view will play
important roles. Our youngest adults are growing up in a world
without boundaries and are likely to extend their philanthropy
well past their own countries. Nick Sparks, a 17-year old black
student who temporarily passed as white for an FX cable TV show,
“Black White” does not buy into notions of outside cultural gaps
between the races. “In our generation, we don’t see race,” he
said. “I was treated about the same when I was black and white”.
“Confronting America’s Racial Divide, in Blackface and
White”, Felicia R. Lee, New York Times, February 16,
2006.
For many young adults, it's not financial security but living in
freedom that most defines their hopes for the future. It shows
what a huge impact September 11th of 2001 has had on our lives
and our young peoples' lives. Twenty-three percent of American
18- to 22-year-olds cite living in freedom as the most important
characteristic of the American dream. While it's not clear
whether these young people will hold onto this opinion as they
move into their adult lives with families to care for, as of
right now financial security is far from the top of their minds.
Only 5 percent of 18-to 22-year-olds surveyed cited it, in fact.
Demographics Alert, October 12, 2004
Nearly half of twentysomethings receive financial support from
their parents or family. Our youngest adults are also being
called “twixters” – those between the late teens and the late
20’s who dip in and out of school, jobs and relationships,
sometimes ending back up at home. It is taking much longer to
make the transition to adulthood than it did a few decades ago –
longer than at any time in history. For today’s young people,
adulthood no longer begins where adolescence ends. The
traditional definition of adulthood has changed from getting
married and having children to finishing school, establishing an
independent household, and holding a job. “Growing Up Is
Harder to Do”, Frank N. Furstenberg, Jr. et al., Contexts,
American Sociological Association, (Summer 2004).
Studying “emerging adulthood” in November 2004, Time
magazine polled Americans 18-29 asking them: “What’s the
main reason that you do not consider yourself an adult?”
- Just
enjoying the way life is 35%
- Not
financially independent yet 33%
- Not out
of school 13%
- Not sure
19%
History and
culture’s defining moments – in the United States, Columbine,
9/11, the impeachment of President Clinton, the Dot Bust – have
helped forge a sensibility that will last a lifetime in shaping
expectations and entitlement, in determining what one will give
to and take from society, work, one’ community, etc. This is the
most unpredictable, advertising-saturated and
marketing-skeptical group of adults the world has ever seen.
This younger generation is entrepreneurial; a strong 70 percent
want to own their own business sometime during their lives. A
2003 Junior Achievement poll (http://www.ja.org/files/polls/Kids_Careers_2003.pdf)
reported that nearly 13 percent of teens selected "business
person" as their ideal job, twice the number who selected
"doctor" (6.5 percent) and "computer field" (4.9 percent).
They're optimistic, expecting to reach their life goals.
However, they are also realistic and conservative, not expecting
to achieve the high income figures of the preceding generation.
While they seem to be less materialistic, nearly three quarters
of the respondents believe that a four-year college degree or a
graduate degree is essential to obtain their ideal career goals.
Reflecting a trend in the current workforce, the teenagers chose
family and fun over money in level of importance to them. Nearly
65 percent voted for less money and more time for family and fun
over more money with an investment of more time. This data is
consistent with other research where 48 percent of today's
workers made the same choice. Money is no longer the primary
motivator. This trend will alter methods employers use to
attract, encourage, and hold top talent.
Three Impressions of Gen-Net Personality:
-
Acceptance of Diversity
- On the
Internet, nobody knows whether you are black, white, short,
tall, attractive or ugly. Children often take on alternative
personalities while surfing the Net. If an N-Gener is talking
to someone using the icon of a dog, it doesn't matter that
it's a dog - what's important is what the dog has to say.
Anti-dog prejudices are about as prevalent as anti-black
prejudices - that is, virtually non-existent. In Swedish
Ungdom Mot Rasism means Youth Against Racism and the
organization's Web site lets them take their message global.
- A
Curious Generation
- Childhood
is all about exploration, discovery and investigation.
However, it is this new shift in control from the broadcast
world to the interactive world that elicits intensely
heightened curiosity. Basically, there is now a new world to
explore, and as this new world matures it will beckon N-Gen
with more allure. The newsletter Simply Science for Kids is
one site that nurtures curiosity.
-
Assertiveness and Self Reliance
- Access to
the media enables N-Gen to assert itself much more than any
other generation. It is the confidence to stick up for
themselves that is giving N-Gen the power to make a
difference. Some home pages are the equivalent of 1960's
petitions, and they are made by N-Geners who are asserting
themselves to a new level. See the Rainforest page made by one
N-Gener as an example.
While currently
Generations X and Net donate less than the older groups – an
average of $791 per year – and 52 percent gave nothing, 56
percent plan to increase their donations in the next five years.
- 54
percent say they will leave money to charity in their wills
(compared to 40% of boomers and 26% of older Americans).
- More of
their dollars – 41% -- go to advocacy and political campaigns.
“Boomers!
Navigating the Generational Divide in Fundraising and Advocacy”,
DonorTrends Project, 2005
Marketers – and this includes fundraisers -- need to be
smarter, and more focused about reaching 21-year-olds. According
to Michael Nilsen, public affairs director of the Assocition of
Fundraising Professionals quoted in “Having A Blast, for a
Good Cause”, Maggie Master, New York Times, March 19,
2006 “There’s an innovativeness there that goes beyond the
baby boomer generation. They want to get involved with the more
regular mainstream charities but by doing something outside of
the mainstream rather than just sending their checks.”
In American Demographics magazine, September 2003 issue. In
“To Be About To Be”, author Michel J. Weiss notes that:
- Whereas
young boomers challenged authority, current 21-year olds
aren’t itching for upheaval.
- Whereas
young Boomers rebelled against their parents, today’s Yers
want to connect with theirs. (60% of college students plan to
move back home after graduation).
- No strong
brand attachments: they believe that’s in today is gone
tomorrow.
- Think of
today’s 21-year-olds as the always-on generation. Using
wireless speaks to them.
- This
group wants products customized to suit its own tastes and
whims.
Are you
ignoring your younger adult prospects? Savvy not-for-profits are
focusing on this group now! |