Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants - November 5, 2007

It's more than a pleasure to host this week's Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants. For those not in the know, this is a weekly roundup of some of the best things said on the Web related to nonprofits and the valuable work they do.

This week, we're chasing after the following idea:

Since CoolPeopleCare is seeking to engage younger generations in the work of nonprofits, the theme of this week's carnival will revolve around best practices about communicating with and attracting young people. What has worked? What doesn't? Why does it matter that nonprofits seek out this demographic?

And here's what came back:

• Roger Carr at Everyday Giving writes about what younger volunteers are looking for in a volunteer experience. This is important to remember when prospecting this demographic.
• Nancy E. Schwartz at the Getting Attention blog details the difference in media habits between the 12-24 set and those older than 25. She has some very compelling research to make you think about how you message to someone, given their age.
• Jeff Brooks, of the Donor Power Blog, highlights some research done on how online appeals work with older donors. Thus, adopting an exclusively online approach doesn't satisfy everyone.
• Rosetta Thurman, a young nonprofit employee herself, shows the importance of joining a board, particularly for the under-30 crowd. Her story is important to read if you'd like younger faces on your board of directors.
• And, for the shameless plug for the week, check out my piece on how to message yourself to Generation Y. And, if you want to take a look at a recent presentation we did for nonprofit leaders about engaging the next generation, you can find it here.

I appreciate this opportunity to host, and remember: We've got to continue to communicate with a younger and younger audience if we hope to be around for the long haul.