How To Appeal To Millennials And Get The Best Results

Millennials seem to be the “hot topic” for many of today’s conversations. Society is constantly trying to figure us out and come up with a way to connect with us. As a millennial who is involved in the nonprofit sector, I have noticed that many organizations struggle to attract and maintain millennials on a long-term basis for donating their time and/or money.

Since we aim to help organizations like yours, today we will learn how to appeal to millennials and get the best results.

How To Appeal To Millennials And Get The Best Results

Build Trust...Then Make The Impact

Trust is a MAJOR thing when it comes to millennials! If we don’t trust you, forget about us donating to your cause.

We don’t care for fake news. 👀 It is best, to be honest with us and state the facts because we tend to do our research. Before we donate to an organization, we will run it by our family and friends, see what others have to say about it, and then give our support. Focus your marketing efforts on building trust and use conversational language so we can connect with you.

Tip: Show examples of the awesome work your organization does for the community and/or around the world, so we know where and what the money we donate go towards.

Maintain a Relationship Through Social Media

The social media trend is still alive and well. Millions of millennials stay connected and become aware of organizations through social media outlets. Once you’ve gained our trust, maintain a relationship with us (outside of the typical monthly newsletter or annual report). Make it possible for us to stay up to date with your organization’s social media pages or through your weekly blog(s).

Tip: Focus on only one or two social channels and two to four blog posts per month. It’s better to do less and do it well than to spread yourself too thin.

Update Your Website

Let’s admit it; there is nothing worse than clicking on a website that takes forever to load or looks like it hasn’t been touched since millennials were born. *laughing emoji* Invest in a modern and reliable website and update it frequently with news about to your organization. Also, include an online giving tab that allows potential donors to donate to your cause conveniently.

Tip:  Check out The Best Way To Encourage Online Giving to learn more about attracting more online givers.

Take advantage of simple, yet impactful tips and receive a fresh wind of new volunteers and donors that will help support the great cause your organization makes each day/week/year. As you make a difference in the lives of those you touch, don’t forget to file your annual Form 990 with ExpressTaxExempt and stay compliant with the IRS.

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5 Key Points for a Nonprofit Community Impact Statement

When sharing the latest and greatest accomplishments of your nonprofit or charitable group, it’s typical of exempt organizations to issue a Community Impact Statement to donors, potential volunteers, and community leaders.

Your statement can include many facts that clearly demonstrates your organization’s outreach within the community. Here are five key points from the nonprofit industry you should include in your impact statement.

Hours from Volunteers
An important aspect of quantifying your organization’s community outreach is the monitoring, gauging, and distribution of volunteer hours. There are online tools available for organizations to quickly schedule and mark volunteers along with real-time reports on service hours. You could even find smartphone apps to pass along to your volunteers, which can allow them to follow and report hours on their own.

Products or Services Offered
Whatever work or items your organization provides to the community - showcase it! Based on your type of nonprofit or charity, show just how many homes built, school supplies distributed, parks cleaned, meals cooked, etc. Quantified numbers always help give a clear picture of your organization's activities.

Funds Raised
Nothing probably showcases community impact better than the contributions, gifts, and grants that your nonprofit draws in. While it proves how your organization supports its activities, it also shows a glimpse of the faith and dependability of your organization’s donor base.

Service Value
According to statistics, the dollar amount for volunteer service is $23.56 per hour. And last year, the national value of service from volunteers was an estimated $184 billion! Converting the time, skill, and talent of your volunteers into a monetary value can show how the community is financially benefiting from your organization.

Testimonials
For nonprofits and charities, a story about the lives changed and the benefits of your organization can inspire others to give or get involved. Share interviews from volunteers or community residents that you've helped. You can also implement quotes and stories on your organization’s website or promotional materials.

Other than publishing a Community Impact Statement, exempt organizations are required by the IRS to share information from annual tax returns with the public. With ExpressTaxExempt.com, you have instant access to a PDF copy of your transmitted IRS Form 990/990-EZ. You can print as many copies as needed or upload the PDF file to your organization’s website.

If you have any questions or issues with e-filing your tax return with our services, please contact our U.S. - based, customer support team at 704.839.2321, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. We’re also available via email with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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4 Effective Blog Ideas for Nonprofits

There are many things you can do to increase community engagement with your nonprofit or charity. A least expensive and less time-consuming option is to create a weekly or bi-weekly blog.

Blogs are an excellent way to update donors, attract new contributors, and showcase your organization’s accomplishments all at once.

Blogs have the potential of reaching a larger audience than your regular lists of contact emails, but only if your blogs contain engaging and concise content. Here are four ideas for blogs from the Internet you can quickly use to increase your exempt organization’s outreach.

Stories from Communities
The most attractive thing your nonprofit or charity can do is display how it invokes positive change within the community. These stories can highlight how your organization meets community needs - you can interview a city leader, a donor, or a long-time resident. If possible, be sure to include photos and videos.

A Compilation Report
A small, summarized report can keep your audiences informed about the progress your organization makes - this can include statistics from donations, fundraising events, volunteers, or services. Feature about five stats from your organization’s activities and use one of those numbers each time you re-post the blog to your social media pages.

Important: A blog detailing a report should be brief and straight to the point. Keep it short to retain your audience’s attention - inform readers of only the significant numerical facts from your activities. Save the minuscule details for your major annual meetings.

Useful Resources or Advice
Your blogs should be able to connect with others outside your donor’s list - sharing tips and resources can put your brand in front of people who have never heard of you. For example, if your organization seeks the restoration and preservation of plant life, create a blog about building or maintaining a backyard garden. Or if your nonprofit is about art, point of some of the best art places in the community.

Behind the Scenes Coverage
Give your audiences an insightful look into the inner workings of your organization. You can significantly express the goals of your nonprofit, fundraising events, and other activities along with the people who help make it happen - use interviews or stories from staff, volunteers, or board members. Visuals are always important, so include various multimedia.

Whether these blogs bring in more contributions, volunteers, or even spark new ideas for fundraising events or program services, you’ll still need to report these changes to the IRS with your annual tax return. With ExpressTaxExempt.com, you can e-file your IRS Form 990/990-EZ a lot quicker than paper filing. Our service uses simple, interview-style questioning and cloud-based technology so you can access and complete your form on any computer.

Contact our U.S. - based support team for any questions or assistance with the e-filing process. You can reach us at 704.839.2321, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST or email us 24/7 with support@ExpressTaxExempt.com.

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