NONPROFIT

CAUSE DRIVEN MILLENNIALS: THE UPSIDE FOR NONPROFITS

Jason Leo, CPA - Manager,Assurance & Advisory

JUNE 2011

CAUSE DRIVEN MILLENNIALS: THE UPSIDE FOR NONPROFITS

Jason Leo, CPA - Manager, Assurance & Advisory

With the economic doldrums of the past few years limiting the number of job opportunities available for recent college graduates, there has never been a better time for Nonprofit organizations to tap into this workforce. College graduates entering the workforce today are part of whats known as the Millennial generation. The general ideals exhibited by this cohort are frequently in line with the traits that a Nonprofit organization seeks in its volunteers and work staff. Also known as Generation Y, the Millennial generation is believed to span those individuals born in the years 1982 to 2000. Theyve been through September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, the economic recession, the election of Barak Obama to presidency, and most recently the drive for democracy in the Middle East. They have hovering parents whove played active roles in their education and development. Theyve experienced and taken part in the birth and rise of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. All of these factors have largely contributed to the type of individual that a Nonprofit would love to have: a person who is highly educated, idealistic, cause/experience driven, motivated and technologically savvy. It is interesting to see that the millennial generation is not solely focused on being financially stable the way their parents were. For millennials, its not always about making money. A start for many Millennials

career is driven by the immediate impact they will make to a cause they believe in, and the experience they will have in effecting change. Finishing college and starting the next chapter of life is about self-exploration and finding oneself. What better way to do this than to join a cause and make a difference? An ideal vehicle towards this will be to seek employment with a Nonprofit organization. Thus, its in every Nonprofits best interest to employ individuals who believe in its mission, and Millennials are a passionate bunch who fit this need. Another plus is their adeptness with technology and social media. As weve seen with the recent push for democracy in the Middle East, social media such as Facebook and Twitter can have a large and immediate impact towards sending a message and creating change. With the rise of the smartphone and other portable web-based hardware, its never been easier to get the word out. The Millennial generation has been a driving force behind the development of social media, and the skills that Millennials carry in this area would be well served in a Nonprofits goal of communicating its mission and reaching out to a larger audience. The world is a fast changing place, and to successfully get its message across in a timely manner, Nonprofits will have to employ passionate, cause driven individuals who are in tune with, and can adapt to, the environment in which they operate on a local, national, and sometimes global scale. For the reasons mentioned above, I cant think of a better group of individuals that fit this bill than Millenials.

Jeff Holt - Los Angeles JHolt@singerlewak.com Stephen P. Carter - Silicon Valley SCarter@singerlewak.com

Lewis Sharpstone - Los Angeles LSharpstone@singerlewak.com Rob Schlener - Orange County RSchlener@singerlewak.com