How to Get Young People Involved in Supporting Your and Their Favorite Non-profits

Wishing you a joyful holiday season from the Community Foundation! We are incredibly grateful for your support, and we hope your year-end is merry and bright! As we gather with loved ones this holiday season, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the values we cherish and the lasting impact we hope to leave. Many of us also consider the younger generation and the legacy we want to pass on. How can we inspire them to recognize their power to shape the future? How can we empower them to contribute to the legacy we’re building actively? Whether they are 21 or 64, these are important conversations worth having. We’re here to help guide you in fostering connections that span generations.

Here are three simple ideas to start a conversation about leaving a legacy through your non-profit’s- endowment fund:

1. Talk About Your Legacy

If you’re already supporting a non-profit you care about, take the time to talk to younger generations about why you’ve chosen that organization and what it means to you. Let them know why it’s important for the cause to keep going long after you’re gone. Share stories about how the non-profit’s work might affect future generations. This shows how meaningful giving is and why supporting the endowment helps secure that mission in the long run.

2. Go on Site Visits

Many non-profits offer site visits, a great way to see their work firsthand. Whether they’re teens or adults, it’s an excellent way to show the young people you know how their donation can make a lasting difference. While you’re there, highlight any programs made possible thanks to the endowment fund—it’s a great way to show how donations keep giving back year after year.

3. Make Giving Easy for the Younger Generation

It’s never too early to introduce young people to giving to a non-profit’s endowment fund. They can start small even if they need to be older to write big checks. When talking about donations, make sure they know that contributing to the endowment fund is always an option, no matter how old they are or how much they’re giving. That way, they’ll know the fund is there when they’re ready to get involved.