The world today is constantly changing, and the rate at which it's moving is rapid.

Everything from technology, to the natural environment, to the political and social structure of our country, the young adults of today are living in a much different world than their grandparents lived in. As a result, the generational gap is significant, and in all sectors of society, must be dealt with accordingly. One of the places that the generational shift can be noticed is in the field of philanthropy. Generation X, which is anyone born from 1965 to 1980, and Generation Y, anyone born from 1981 to 1991, has greatly changed how charitable work as a whole is approached, whether it be through a conscience effort, or as an unavoidable effect of the differences in society today from what it was in the past. Generation X and Y have changed foundations, grants, and fundraising because they have greater access to technology, are living longer, and hold new philosophies on how money should be donated, to where it should be donated, and how often it should be donated. Due to an increase in technology, today's generation is able to contribute to the world of philanthropy in ways that givers of the past were not able to. Text-messaging is gaining acceptance and popularity as legitimate donation tool. In a survey conducted by Convio and Sea Change Strategies, 77% of people said they heard about the opportunity to make a donation after the disastrous Haiti Earthquake from their cell phone first, while 36% said they are willing to go forth and make the donation via text-message after an emergency occurs (Preseton). Not only is it important to realize that young adults of today's generation have new ways of donating, but it is also important to understand how to reach Generation X and Y through the use of new technology. Kelly Mahoney, president of marketing agency Newport Creative Communications, says, you can reach the Generation Yers by tapping into the right media mix, which includes MTV, niche cable stations, radio and print vehicles, social events, clubs, extreme-sports venues,

in-person communications and, above all, the Web (Barbagallo). With the right use of technology, and the understanding that this generation believes in independent thinking, and believes themselves to be individuals over a part of any particular group, then the potential to gain donations and contributions from a younger crowd is quite vast. Another factor affecting the philanthropic community is the fact that generations today are living longer than they ever have in the past. In the early 1900's, the average life span was 47, but by 2000, the average life span grew to 78 years of age. No longer is the transference of leadership likened to passing a baton from one generation to the next, but now to engage the next generation actually means to engage multiple generations (Goldseker). This makes the communicating and planning of foundation work incredibly complex due to the different identities and experiences brought into the conversation by generations who have lived through very different times. Some foundations are suffering from the inability to find a proper solution to this issue, while some are coming to the conclusion that it is time to add new seats to their boards to allocate for members of Generation X, a generation that was raised in a much more equal opportunistic society in relation to race, class, sexual orientation, religion, and gender. In Goldseker's article on engaging young philanthropists, she writes,the experiences these 20- and 30-somethings bring, the vocabulary and skills they draw on, the diverse social circles they move in, the questions they pose, all require a shift in the way our federations operate. Are we willing to adapt how we operate for the sake of who we want to engage? The proposed question is an important one, and the philanthropic community has tried to answer it and has made several attempts at adjusting to the generational gaps in a couple of different ways. One of the ways suggested by the Associated Grant Makers, Inc. is by building a Next Generation Foundation, a separate foundation that is led by the next generation and may be

funded by the older foundation (Associated Grant Makers). Other additional foundations have been set up with the sole purpose of encouraging and offering guidance to younger members in the field of philanthropy. One of these foundations is the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. This foundation realizes the problems being faced today by generational shifts. They state on their website, While there has been much buzz about the inter-generational transfer of wealth, the field has not acknowledged the generational shift in the staff realm. Hence, this emerging cadre of grant makers has not been nurtured, utilized to the fullest, or networked as a cohort. This situation betrays a larger gap in professional education for grantmakers, which EPIP is now helping to fill (Emerging Practictioners in Philanthropy). Having foundations available to, as EPIP puts it, nurture, the future generations participating in philanthropy, will make the transition from one generation of thinkers to the next an easier and more fluid shift. Adjusting to new technologies and issues of life span and age are certainly important trends that much be approached appropriately, but most important of all might be the new philosophies on philanthropy that the younger crowds are bringing to the field. The post-Baby Boomer generation holds the belief that philanthropy should extend far beyond just writing a check or giving money to a charity, but believes the same efficiency should be given as is in business, which means putting in personal time or taking action in various fulfilling ways (Forbes). Though it is found that younger people give to fewer groups, they are willing to give in multiple ways. Older generations are still using regular mail to donate to charities. In fact, 77% of donors born before 1945 say they have given to a charity in this way in the past two years. However, when it comes to Generation X and Y, there is no single way of giving that is

dominating. 43% of Generation X and 26% of Generation Y members said in a survey that they had given through the mail in the past two years, while 35% of Generation X and 29% of Generation Y had used a charitys web site (Preseton). As the population continues to grow, as life spans increasingly lengthen, as technology becomes greater, and as giving opportunities widen, the philanthropic community will have to make adjustments to these