[ASK AN EXPERT] What Gen Z and Boomers Have in Common as Nonprofit Donors

What motivates a 25-year-old donor isn't necessarily all that different from what motivates a 75-year-old donor.

Both want to know:

Does this matter to me?

Can I make a difference?

Will my contribution mean something?

Do I belong here?

The channels may differ. The language may differ. The ways people participate may differ.

But the underlying psychology is remarkably human.

That's why I get nervous when I hear fundraisers talk about motivating donors according to their generation. Yes, generational differences can affect how people prefer to communicate and participate. But age alone doesn't tell you what someone cares about, why they give, or what will inspire them to take action.

If you really want to motivate donors, don't start by making assumptions about who they are.

Start by getting curious.

1. Don't lead with money

No one wants to be treated like an ATM. Yet too often, that's exactly how our outreach feels.

We lead with a campaign goal, a funding gap or a suggested gift amount. We tell people what we need and then ask them to fill the gap.

Instead, begin with engagement. Not a pitch or a polished case statement. But an authentic conversation.

Instead of:

“Would you consider a gift of $500?”

Try:

“What drew you to this cause in the first place?”

That's a very different starting point.

People want to be agents of change, not just openers of wallets. They want to genuinely see themselves as participants in something that matters.

The difference is subtle but powerful, helping the donor feel needed and appreciated, not just used and discarded.

“Someone like me is part of this.”

feels a lot more inspiring than:

“They need my support.”

One feels like mattering and belonging. The other feels like obligation. And, as Maya Angelou famously wrote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

When you show up as a person first -- curious, present and genuinely interested -- you create space for someone to connect not just with your mission, but with you.

That's where trust begins.

2. Get curious about what matters to them

Here's where fundraisers often go wrong: We assume we already know what motivates people.

We see a donor's age, neighborhood, giving history, profession or previous gift and decide what their next gift should be about.

But your donor knows themselves better than you do.

Your job isn't to steer them toward the issue you think should matter most. It's to discover what actually matters to them.

Ask questions that invite reflection rather than questions that lead to a predetermined answer.

For example:

“What about this work first spoke to you?”

“What kind of difference do you most want to make right now?”

“What is most important to you when you make a gift?”

“When you give at your best, what does that feel like?”

“What legacy would you like to leave?”

Notice these aren't questions designed to uncover the “right” answer. They're invitations.

And then comes the hard part: listen.

Don't listen while mentally preparing your next question. Don't listen for the opening to make your case. And don't listen only for information that supports your fundraising priority.

Listen for values, hopes, experiences, gratitude, concerns and possibility.

If a donor says something unexpected, get curious about that, too.

“That's interesting. Can you tell me more about what speaks to you about that?”

The more you understand what someone values and why, the better equipped you are to help them express those values philanthropically -- through your organization.

3. Talk about identity and agency

People care deeply about what giving says about who they are.

Someone may see themselves as a champion for young people. Another may be committed to protecting the natural world. Someone else may believe everyone deserves access to the same opportunities they had.

These identities don't necessarily correspond to age.

And they aren't always obvious from a donor's giving history.

That's why it's so important to give donors opportunities to articulate their own sense of purpose.

You might ask:

“How do you decide which causes to support?”

Or:

“Who set an example of generosity for you?”

Or simply:

“What matters most to you right now?”

You're not trying to manufacture motivation. You're helping donors discover and express motivation that is already there.

That's an important distinction.

The most effective fundraising doesn't persuade someone to care about something they don't care about. It helps them see how something they already care about can become an expression of their values.

4. Connect the dots

Once you've listened, your job is to help donors see a clear path from their values to meaningful action.

Think of it as a four-part connection:

Their values → a meaningful action → a tangible outcome → a community of people who care about the same thing.

Without that throughline, giving can feel abstract.

With it, giving becomes personal and actionable.

For example, suppose a donor tells you they care deeply about educational equity because they were the first person in their family to go to college.

You could respond with a general appeal:

“We support students from underserved communities. Would you consider making a gift?”

Or you could connect the dots:

“You mentioned being the first in your family to go to college. That's exactly the experience many of our students are navigating right now. Here's one way your support could help...”

Now the donor can see the arc:

This matters to me → this is what I can do → this is what can happen → I'm part of this story.

That's motivating.

5. Make participation personal, not predictable

This is where age can matter -- but probably not in the way you think.

A younger donor may prefer to participate through a mobile giving page, a peer-to-peer campaign or a social experience. An older donor may prefer a phone call, personal meeting or direct mail.

But these are preferences, not prescriptions.

Don't assume that because someone is young they want a TikTok video, or because someone is older they want a letter.

Ask.

And give people choices.

Some donors will want to make a financial contribution. Others may want to volunteer, advocate, attend an event, introduce you to someone, share your message or simply learn more.

The point isn't to find the one magic channel that motivates an entire generation.

It's to create multiple doors into the work.

Motivation begins with relationship

Ultimately, motivating donors isn't about finding the right psychological trick, generational stereotype or fundraising formula.

It's about paying attention.

When donors sense you care about what they care about, rather than simply about what you want from them, something changes. The interaction becomes less transactional and more relational.

You stop asking, “How do I get this person to give?”

And start asking, “How can I help this person express what matters most to them?”

That's a very different job.

And it works with donors of every age.

Because beneath the demographic labels, we're all human beings looking for ways to make a difference, express who we are and belong to something larger than ourselves.

Give donors the opportunity to do that, and you won't have to work so hard to motivate them.

You'll simply be helping them discover their own reasons to act.

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