Engaging Millennials

I am not an expert on engaging millennials, though my two kids fit the demographic.  Outside of my family, my relationships with millennials are my coworkers at the Community Foundation. From them, I do know that millennials share the Community Foundation’s values.  As a generation, they epitomize our motto: care, connect, and engage.  As they seek employment, Millennials look for workplaces that provide an opportunity to do something important and meaningful to them. According to an article by Larry Alton in Forbes, “On average, millennials would be willing to give up $7,600 in salary every year to work at a job that provided a better environment for them.” This is a generation that highly values working within a corporate culture and with coworkers who share their passions and values.  At the Community Foundation of Western Nevada, we are fortunate to have such a workplace.  I am beyond grateful, every single minute of every single day, to be doing what I am doing, where I am doing it, with the people I work with. You may know I previously wrote about Community Foundation digital media, including our websites, Facebook pages, YouTube channel, and my Twitter feed.  We post so many things, in so many locations, that if you “like” our pages you will know about us and our daily activities. Everywhere we browse we face a firehose of information.  Millennials apparently, can keep up, but they are not yet at the point in their lives where they have enough assets to be our target market. In our business, much of our work is via phone and in person, and through emails, but we are also changing with the times.  We recognize that we need to connect with all generations, including millennials. Through our growing Corporate Philanthropy Partners program, we are building a network of companies that recognize real impact and engagement in the community is something important to them.  When millennial employees are asked, we hear that loud and strong.

• 84% say that helping make a positive difference is more important to them than professional recognition
• 60% cite “a sense of purpose” as part of the reason they work for their current employer
• 84% made a charitable donation last year

Millennials are our future.  Ages 17-36, they are a larger group of people than Boomers were “back in the day.” There is no doubt that they are our future, and at the Community Foundation office, you can see our future clearly.  When you come to the office or meet our staff at gatherings throughout town, you’ll see the faces of our millennial generation staff.  I think they are fantastic, smart, caring, and here for all the right reasons.  I think I understand millennials, but when they read this column they may say I have it all wrong.  They’re probably right.  I try to know, to understand, to be cool, and I guess I’m not, but I try! And if you, like me, need an occasional lesson on how to follow all the good work of the Community Foundation on social media, chat with one of them at 775-333-5499.  I can attest to their patience and helpfulness! (photo: Community Foundation millennial generation staff) Chris Askin, President, and CEO Connecting people who care with causes that matter