How to Engage Gen Zers as Volunteers and Advocates

How to Engage Gen Zers as Volunteers and Advocates

Most nonprofit leaders can agree that trying to attract younger supporters sometimes feels as foreign as deciphering an ancient scroll. Compared to the traditional methods we’re accustomed to using when engaging older generations, Gen Zers (our friends born between 1997 and 2012) demand a whole new approach to volunteer and advocate engagement.

Yet, this generation is more politically and socially engaged than the generations before them. Their activism makes them a powerful force for growing your volunteer base, raising awareness of your cause, and earning more support overall.

Nonprofit leaders seeking to build a sustainable future for their organization must understand how to tap into this passionate and digitally savvy demographic to secure future support. Let’s review the strategies your organization can implement to welcome Gen Z volunteers and advocates through channels they use daily. 

1. Re-evaluate Your ‘Volunteer Role’ Definitions

Today’s donors need fresh, creative opportunities to jump in and help. While those classic, long-term appeals are still great ways to attract new supporters, nonprofit leaders must adapt to changing times to resonate with younger audiences. 

Roles that offer clear, short-term, and high-impact value will appeal most to Gen Z supporters. These roles could include:

• • Digital activists: Digital activism can take many forms, including raising awareness, mobilizing support, and launching digital campaigns. Encourage Gen Z donors to get involved by promoting online advocacy movements, providing content they can share on their social media platforms, and asking them to educate peers on important issues. 
  • Micro-volunteering: Micro-volunteering is a form of volunteering that enables Gen Zers to support a nonprofit through quick, remote tasks. Some examples include online advocacy, such as sharing petitions and awareness posts or emailing elected officials about a cause. 
  • Skills-based consultants: Skill-based consulting enables Gen Z volunteers to apply their professional or technical skills, such as data analysis, marketing, and design, to help nonprofit organizations address real-world problems. For example, suppose a nonprofit is struggling to reach new audiences on social media. In that case, they can recruit Gen Z volunteers who are adept at social media to revamp their online presence.  

Personalizing opportunities to your supporters based on their interests and current activities is a great way to encourage more people to engage. For example, reaching out to a college-aged supporter to ask for their support with on-campus advocacy is a lot more personal than sending a broad appeal to all Gen Z volunteers born between 1997 and 2012, as many of them are currently not in college. 

2. Meet Them On Mobile and Social Channels

Mobile channels and social media are the primary forms of communication for Gen Zers, making it critical to meet them where they are. With 46% of Gen Zers preferring to use social media over traditional search engines to gather information, it’s important to maintain a presence where these supporters are most likely to learn about your organization.

The social media channels most preferred by Gen Zers include: 

• • Instagram: Instagram posts are highly visual forms of content, with endless opportunities to share information. Consider running advocacy campaigns on social media that focus on engaging Gen Z audiences to share information and educate themselves about the mission of your organization. 
  • TikTok: Gen Zers are already spending an average of 57 minutes on TikTok daily, meaning the platform’s short-form videos are a great way to meet this generation where they already spend their time. Consider highlighting the stories of the staff at your organization or those you serve through your mission to connect on a more personal level. 
  • YouTube: While TikTok specializes in short-form videos, YouTube allows users to publish high-quality, engaging video content. Use longer-form videos to delve deeper into your organization’s impact, provide a behind-the-scenes look at your work, or bring to life the compelling stories of those you serve.

Don’t forget about text messaging and email. Launching an email marketing campaign or sending off a quick text offers a convenient way to communicate with Gen Zers, because they can open your message immediately from their mobile devices. These channels also offer the opportunity for supporters to text back, which is a great way to immediately engage with these supporters and capture their attention quickly compared to other channels.

Keep in mind that online presence, social media activity, and thoughtful outreach are among the most effective strategies for engaging volunteers—and they aren’t restricted to the organization’s marketing team. As an executive leader, providing a quote for a social media post or signing your name to a volunteer appreciation email are easy ways to represent the organization well when connecting with Gen Zers.

3. Prioritize Community and Collective Action

Gen Zers seek a sense of belonging and community in the hobbies and activities they partake in, and are motivated by the idea of being a part of a movement, not just an individual contributor. 

Here are a couple of different ways to create community through your nonprofit for Gen Z supporters to feel involved with:

• • Team projects: Develop various team projects that appeal to Gen Zers and benefit your organization. Different volunteer projects and milestones can encourage Gen Z volunteers to stay committed to the goal while creating a sense of community amongst other participants. 
  • Peer-to-peer campaigns: Peer-to-peer campaigns enable Gen Zers to leverage their personal networks to amplify impact, transforming fundraising into a social experience that fosters a sense of community. These campaigns allow Gen Zers to rally around a shared cause and involve their friends, family, and broader network to reach a specific goal. 
  • Volunteer and advocate recognition: By recognizing your Gen Z volunteers and advocates, you can help them feel appreciated for their contributions, while also introducing them to other supporters who have rallied around the same cause. 

Be sure to incorporate your brand values into these efforts with Gen Z supporters by clearly articulating the organization’s mission and values. Gen Zers are drawn to organizations whose values align with their own. The more clearly you lay out your mission in your messaging, the more you’ll draw this generation to your organization. 

4. Lead with Authenticity and Transparency

Gaining supporters’ trust is difficult across the board, but Gen Zers are known for their skepticism of institutions in every sector. In fact, studies show this generation is more open to giving directly through platforms like GoFundMe due to a lack of trust in nonprofits’ social impact.

Using impact reporting and data to shed light on your organization’s impact will help gain the trust of your supporters. Here are a couple of different ways to clearly show impact: 

• • Impact data: Impact data that clearly states how an organization’s actions have helped the community it serves is a tangible way to communicate outcomes to a generation raised on social proof. 
  • Data-driven storytelling: Combining data with emotionally charged stories creates powerful narratives that feel both relatable and credible. Gen Z supporters often connect emotionally to stories, but need to validate those emotions with data that communicates a clear impact.
  • Real-time feedback: Immediate updates on where donations are going and what activities are happening inside an organization help Gen Zers maintain confidence that their support is going to the right place. Gen Zers expect instant insight and accountability, and real-time feedback is a great way to keep them informed.

Transparency is doubly effective in building an advocacy campaign because it equips Gen Zers to talk honestly about the organization’s impact. For example, a supporter promoting your cause will appear more credible when they know the tangible results of your nonprofit’s work. 

Don’t think of engaging Gen Z as a short-term or one-time initiative. Just as you constantly employ donor data analysis and segmentation to personalize your fundraising appeals, Gen Z volunteers and advocates deserve your ongoing efforts. 

This crew—the next generation of changemakers—isn’t just here for a moment. They’re a committed audience of potential volunteers and advocates, and they’re the future of nonprofit support!

By dedicating your resources to understanding and engaging Gen Z, your nonprofit will secure the necessary human capital and passion to thrive well into the future.

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