Help Wanted: Young, passionate voices for the cause

My family is eagerly anticipating my youngest daughter’s graduation from college this spring. While it’s inherently an exciting time—the culmination of four years of sacrifice into a stamp of approval that’s become routine and even expected in the U.S.—we’re admittedly a little nervous for her too.

After all, despite the talk of economic recovery, her prospects for living-wage employment are questionable.

She’s long been socially-conscious and community focused and has expressed an interest in using her communications degree in the nonprofit sector. Of course I’m supportive of whatever she decides to do after college.

But admittedly, given my experiences I have cautioned her to temper her idealistic enthusiasm with realistic expectations of life as a nonprofit professional: long hours, crazy deadlines, limited resources, challenging personalities.

“Do what you love and the money will come,” I’ve always told her and her older sister. Your passion and work ethic will be recognized and rewarded—even if primarily in personal satisfaction.

The trend in what I call the “greening” of the nonprofit sector seems to bear out that perspective. The sector is seeing a noticeable increase in the involvement of younger people in every role, from jobs to volunteerism to donors.

What’s causing the influx, especially when these primarily twentysomethings are often pegged as self-absorbed with a sense of entitlement?

Sacrifices like the ones many of us made back in the day would deflate today’s young-uns, right?

The jury is still out on that and it may not even matter, as their motivations are likely as individual as they are.

However, it would be wise for the elder stateswomen (and men) among us to encourage, support and duplicate some of the general attributes they bring and are willing to share:

Enthusiasm—It takes hopefulness and energy to maintain individual motivation and collective morale in light of continuing challenging times for this sector; something that many of us are struggling with at this very moment.

This millennial generation, in spite of all that’s wrong around them, recognizes their individual and collective power to make change (most notably seen during the first election of Pres. Obama), and are transmitting that across all platforms. They are pushing past the naysayers and their boundaries, intent on making lasting change for the causes they care about.

Tech savvy-ness—Their language, largely visual, is almost reminiscent of Egyptian hieroglyphics but instead of being etched on walls, emoticons and abbreviated phrases fly around us beamed through devices that can often be confounding for us graying foxes to understand. They’re creating and using expansive innovations in technology to build new styles of community in communicating, branding and fundraising.

Advocacy—The lines of division based on ethnicity, economic status, race, sexual orientation, disability and the like are becoming less distinctive for these young people, as they are living diversity, more so than giving lip service to a term that first surfaced when many of them were just infants.

Seventy-percent of young people consider themselves social activists and from busy neighboring cities to far-away lands across the globe these rebels with causes are banding together, armed with an intimate knowledge of the issues as well as solutions, if we’d listen.

We, and our organizations, need what they’ve got. Let’s find ways to help give them a voice and a seat at the table with the respect, room and remuneration they need to usher us into areas we’ve long feared (or forgot how to) tread.

Have you welcomed young people and their special added value to your organization? Tell us in what capacity and how it is—or isn’t—working out.