The Face of Philanthropy is Growing Younger

The generation that we often criticize for being the selfish, engrossed in technology, bratty, spoiled or entitled generation may be taking on a new title: the philanthropic generation.

That’s right–philanthropy has a new face, and it’s younger than you probably imagined. According to reports from Entrepreneur and NBC, among others, millennials are actively trying to buck the trend of the “selfish” label that has been following them in recent years.

An incredible 84 percent of millennials donated money to a charitable cause in 2014, and 70 percent spent at least one hour doing volunteer work–two of the largest means of contributing and giving back to the community imaginable.

Among the negative connotations often associated with the millennial generation is the almost insurmountable burden of student debt they have racked up. This has become such a large issue that it’s been discussed thoroughly in presidential politics and has made its way into mainstream media: the average student graduates with almost $30,000 in student loan debt. And what generation is the one that’s currently graduating (or getting there, or having just graduated): the ever-generous millennials, of course.

Though weighed down by student loans, part-time work and an unimpressive job market, Gen Y-ers managed to contribute an average of $481 dollars per person, per year in recent studies.

In a totally different sector of generosity, millennials outshine all other generations in terms of their propensity for crowdfunding. A relatively new concept that was ushered into the spotlight as technology has continued to advance, crowdfunding seems to fit the millennial build almost to a T. It’s web and internet-based, allowing for the technology-enhanced giving model that millennials have quickly adopted to come into play. According to Entrepreneur, “Millennials are a whopping three times more likely than Baby Boomers to donate to a crowdfunding campaign and 70 percent more likely than Gen Xers.”

Although older generations tended to give more money per person in the grand scheme of things, the tendency for younger people to continue the trend of philanthropy could be pointing to a good sign for the future. If millennials who are in debt and potentially making meager salaries are inclined to donate to philanthropic causes now, the future of philanthropy could be in for increased donations as Gen-Y grows older and more financially secure, while maintaining a charitable outlook on life.

It's Becoming Easier and Easier to Raise Money

It seems that there is a stark divide within this country at this moment. A divide that, at the present, pits generation against generation, traditionalists against modernists, old against new. Whether you fall into the camp of “technology is ruining us as humans” or “technology is bringing about positive change,” it’s tough to debate the effect that new tech has on philanthropy.

While phrases like “I’ll text you” may be debatably sullying our ability to communicate interpersonally as human beings, less-spoken but often-read phrases like “click here to donate” or “support the Johnson family” are having a large-scale effect on how we support charitable causes.

Online fundraising isn’t exactly a “new” means of raising money for positive causes, but with the advent of social media, mass-sharing and more secure online money management methods, the concept is taking on legs of its own in recent years.

Take, for instance, GoFundMe. In essence, GoFundMe is an online fundraising platform–simple, easy to use and effective. But diving deeper and exploring the platform itself lends insight into just how powerful a tool as simple as GoFundMe can be. On it, you’ll find college fundraisers for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford a higher education. You’ll find fundraisers to help the elderly retire, help cover expensive medical costs or help feed the homeless. You’ll also find sombering fundraisers, those that collect money to help a family pay for funeral expenses for a loved one, or start a memorial scholarship in the name of a tragically passed friend.

All of the above lend credibility to the fact that technology has had a monumental impact on how we help others. With a click of a button or a tap of a smartphone screen, philanthropists can give $25 to help a student pay for textbooks, or $5,000 to help a terminally ill child receive the care they need. This wouldn’t have been possible without the intersection of technology and philanthropy.

Facebook has also jumped on the bandwagon, adding the ability to add “Donate” buttons to the pages of certain charitable causes to facilitate online donations. In the second quarter of 2016, Facebook–often named as a “fading” social medium–had about 1.71 billion users. Imagine a single platform–even an amalgamation of numerous platforms–that could possibly reach an audience that large without technology.

The next time you go to chide someone for using their phone too frequently, consider how large an impact that simple technologies like a smartphone or a reliable internet connection could have on the people who need it the most.