March 15, 2004
The next generation | Grassroots philanthropy is changing the way Maine nonprofits attract younger donors
By Taylor Smith
Early this month, Gillian Schair invited 115 people between the ages of 25 and 45 ˆ most of whom she had never met ˆ to a party at her Portland home. To the 70 or so who came, Schair offered wine and food, a casual setting and a social atmosphere. There also were three fish tanks ˆ empty at the beginning of the party ˆ that slowly filled with cash over the course of the evening.
At first glance, the tanks were a brilliantly entrepreneurial way to fund the cost of the party (and many more parties at that), but Schair had other plans for the money. The $1,050 raised during the get-together was earmarked for three nonprofit organizations that Schair and her friends had chosen as recipients of the party's fundraising effort. In the online invitation to the party, which Schair calls the Giving Circle, guests were asked to bring $15 to donate to one or more of the evening's featured organizations ˆ theater group Add Verb Productions, the Ronald McDonald House and the Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation. "The basis of the Giving Circle is to show that one person can be a philanthropist without giving away thousands of dollars," says Schair.
As the concept of philanthropy changes, nonprofit groups and other charitable organizations increasingly are feeling pressure to cultivate the next generation of philanthropists ˆ not only as fundraising targets, but also as future board members and community leaders. But the dilemma nonprofit organizations face is how to reach these people. "Philanthropic organizations are looking to the younger generation with great excitement because there's a huge amount of money and energy out there, but also with bafflement about how to attract these donors," says Julie Salamon, culture writer for The New York Times and author of Rambam's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It Is Necessary to Give.
The success of the Giving Circle, which raised another $1,000 at its inaugural gathering last fall, may offer some guidance for Maine nonprofits struggling to expand their donor base to include the younger generation. For starters, the casual atmosphere at Schair's party turned the event from a fundraiser to a social gathering. And while the presentations for each charity were the centerpiece of the party, they lasted just a few minutes each and didn't barrage guests with pleas for financial support. Meanwhile, small donations were the rule rather than the exception. "Some people may think that $15 is just a token amount of money, but the fish tank full of money is a symbol of our collective effort, and that our generation cares," says Lydia Maier, dean of students at the Waynflete School in Portland and an organizer of the Giving Circle. "It felt good to see the money we raised, and to realize that we generated it in one evening."
The Dean effect
While $1,000 is a relatively modest sum in fundraising circles ˆ especially when it's the product of 70 donations ˆ it has become increasingly clear that there's power in many small donations. To wit: Howard Dean's stunningly successful grassroots fundraising strategy, which raised a whopping $47.5 million for his presidential campaign from modest individual donations, including a significant amount from young voters.
But what contributed to the success of Dean's fundraising campaign? Some ex-perts say it's because people connected with the grassroots strategy: "It was a great example of an effort that engaged young people," says Siobhán O'Riordan, director of Boston-based philanthropy advisory firm Giving Network. "To see that level of civic engagement among young people was thrilling."
For larger, more established nonprofit organizations, grassroots-style fundraising typically isn't an option. Case in point: The Portland Museum of Art, a well-oiled fundraising machine that raised $1.5 million in donations during its last fiscal year. But one problem is that much of the museum's donations come from older donors, many of whom are drawn to the museum's collection of 19th century art. As a result, the museum recently launched a new initiative, the Contemporary Art Council, to attract younger members. "Younger people are definitely more engaged in contemporary arts," says Carol Varney, the museum's director of foundation and corporate support. "The Contemporary Art Council is a way to reach the younger generation of donors, which is a pretty untapped group for the museum."
The museum has signed up just 20 people to the council since last fall, and has yet to make a significant push to publicize the group. Instead, the museum aims to slowly build a membership base before opening the doors to the Contemporary Art Council ˆ effectively testing the water before jumping in. "It's like a capital campaign in the quiet phase," says Varney.
It's too early to tell whether the Contemporary Art Council will be successful, but another Portland-based group has found success engaging younger donors by jumping in with both feet. The Maine Women's Fund, a nonprofit organization involved in grantmaking, leadership training and advocacy for women and girls, launched its New Girls Network in 2000 with just ten members. There are more than 100 members today, and Liz Anderson, associate director of the Maine Women's Fund, expects that number to double by next year. "I get two or three calls a day about the New Girls Network, and it's all been through word of mouth," she says.
The New Girls Network meets monthly to discuss philanthropy and leadership among women, and raises grant money for small, grassroots groups in Maine. Its first public fundraising effort, an evening of music, food and microbrews with a $10 cover, took place in mid-March, after this issue of Mainebiz went to press. A highlight of the effort, according to Anderson, is that the members of the New Girls Network are instrumental in choosing the recipients of the group's grants ˆ a strong selling point when it comes to fundraising. "It's a big deal when someone can connect their values to their philanthropy," says Anderson, "and it's really exciting to raise money for something that you really believe in."
Whether that message can be transferred to the state's larger nonprofits remains to be seen.
At first glance, the tanks were a brilliantly entrepreneurial way to fund the cost of the party (and many more parties at that), but Schair had other plans for the money. The $1,050 raised during the get-together was earmarked for three nonprofit organizations that Schair and her friends had chosen as recipients of the party's fundraising effort. In the online invitation to the party, which Schair calls the Giving Circle, guests were asked to bring $15 to donate to one or more of the evening's featured organizations ˆ theater group Add Verb Productions, the Ronald McDonald House and the Cambodian Arts and Scholarship Foundation. "The basis of the Giving Circle is to show that one person can be a philanthropist without giving away thousands of dollars," says Schair.
As the concept of philanthropy changes, nonprofit groups and other charitable organizations increasingly are feeling pressure to cultivate the next generation of philanthropists ˆ not only as fundraising targets, but also as future board members and community leaders. But the dilemma nonprofit organizations face is how to reach these people. "Philanthropic organizations are looking to the younger generation with great excitement because there's a huge amount of money and energy out there, but also with bafflement about how to attract these donors," says Julie Salamon, culture writer for The New York Times and author of Rambam's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It Is Necessary to Give.
The success of the Giving Circle, which raised another $1,000 at its inaugural gathering last fall, may offer some guidance for Maine nonprofits struggling to expand their donor base to include the younger generation. For starters, the casual atmosphere at Schair's party turned the event from a fundraiser to a social gathering. And while the presentations for each charity were the centerpiece of the party, they lasted just a few minutes each and didn't barrage guests with pleas for financial support. Meanwhile, small donations were the rule rather than the exception. "Some people may think that $15 is just a token amount of money, but the fish tank full of money is a symbol of our collective effort, and that our generation cares," says Lydia Maier, dean of students at the Waynflete School in Portland and an organizer of the Giving Circle. "It felt good to see the money we raised, and to realize that we generated it in one evening."
The Dean effect
While $1,000 is a relatively modest sum in fundraising circles ˆ especially when it's the product of 70 donations ˆ it has become increasingly clear that there's power in many small donations. To wit: Howard Dean's stunningly successful grassroots fundraising strategy, which raised a whopping $47.5 million for his presidential campaign from modest individual donations, including a significant amount from young voters.
But what contributed to the success of Dean's fundraising campaign? Some ex-perts say it's because people connected with the grassroots strategy: "It was a great example of an effort that engaged young people," says Siobhán O'Riordan, director of Boston-based philanthropy advisory firm Giving Network. "To see that level of civic engagement among young people was thrilling."
For larger, more established nonprofit organizations, grassroots-style fundraising typically isn't an option. Case in point: The Portland Museum of Art, a well-oiled fundraising machine that raised $1.5 million in donations during its last fiscal year. But one problem is that much of the museum's donations come from older donors, many of whom are drawn to the museum's collection of 19th century art. As a result, the museum recently launched a new initiative, the Contemporary Art Council, to attract younger members. "Younger people are definitely more engaged in contemporary arts," says Carol Varney, the museum's director of foundation and corporate support. "The Contemporary Art Council is a way to reach the younger generation of donors, which is a pretty untapped group for the museum."
The museum has signed up just 20 people to the council since last fall, and has yet to make a significant push to publicize the group. Instead, the museum aims to slowly build a membership base before opening the doors to the Contemporary Art Council ˆ effectively testing the water before jumping in. "It's like a capital campaign in the quiet phase," says Varney.
It's too early to tell whether the Contemporary Art Council will be successful, but another Portland-based group has found success engaging younger donors by jumping in with both feet. The Maine Women's Fund, a nonprofit organization involved in grantmaking, leadership training and advocacy for women and girls, launched its New Girls Network in 2000 with just ten members. There are more than 100 members today, and Liz Anderson, associate director of the Maine Women's Fund, expects that number to double by next year. "I get two or three calls a day about the New Girls Network, and it's all been through word of mouth," she says.
The New Girls Network meets monthly to discuss philanthropy and leadership among women, and raises grant money for small, grassroots groups in Maine. Its first public fundraising effort, an evening of music, food and microbrews with a $10 cover, took place in mid-March, after this issue of Mainebiz went to press. A highlight of the effort, according to Anderson, is that the members of the New Girls Network are instrumental in choosing the recipients of the group's grants ˆ a strong selling point when it comes to fundraising. "It's a big deal when someone can connect their values to their philanthropy," says Anderson, "and it's really exciting to raise money for something that you really believe in."
Whether that message can be transferred to the state's larger nonprofits remains to be seen.
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