Nonprofits have known for some time that the donor population is graying and it will be increasingly important to attract Generation Z donors, those born from 1997 to 2012. Yet fundraising practices haven\u2019t changed to account for new blood, notes Howard Heevner, executive director of annual programs at the University of California at Berkeley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have built a system based on a homogenous, white male structure for philanthropic purposes,\u201d says Heevner, who researches alumni giving habits in the annual National Alumni Survey<\/a>. \u201cThe rising generations are more diverse, more female, and we’ve not changed our systems at all to match the needs of that population.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Heevner focuses on giving to colleges and universities, they are not the only ones in need of a fundraising reset. Most nonprofits fall short when it comes to reaching young donors. New research dispels a common misperception by showing that Gen Z is giving and that nonprofits can build meaningful relationships with them by speaking their language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Heevner and others studying Gen Z philanthropy offer the following insights into how and why young donors get involved in causes they care about. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGen Z Gives Time, Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n