Brooke Price, Copywriter
Blake Toman, Data Analyst
The donor market is shifting.
Sagac research found that although Generation Z comprised almost 25% of the PAC eligible population in 2021-2022, only 15% were PAC donors. As members of Generation Z, who are now between 18 and 24 years old, begin to enter the workforce, it’s time to start thinking about how to connect your early career employees and association members to your government affairs program and build authentic, long-term engagement.
Here are three data-driven strategies you can use to start building your program’s relationship with the next generation of PAC donors:
1. Leverage social media to encourage participation and relationship building among peers.
Over half of Gen Z spends four or more hours per day on social media, with YouTube, Instagram, and Tik Tok capturing the most attention (1). Social media is a low-stakes way to engage early-career donors with educational graphics and videos, informal polls and surveys, and links to your program’s website.
Additionally, social media helps break down potential barriers between your PAC team and Gen-Z donors by building a real, human connection. Try having your directors, liaisons, and other government affairs team members make 20-30 second videos introducing themselves, announcing events and campaigns, and interacting with other PAC members. Remember, people give to people; the human element has never been more important.
2. Strengthen your charitable giving program and find new ways to get involved.
Next-gen donors are the future of your PAC or government affairs program. Forbes reports that Gen-Z is extremely motivated to donate to causes they are passionate about (2), and your PAC Match program is one of the most valuable resources your program has for increasing PAC participation by giving Gen-Z autonomy over their charitable contributions. As Gen-Z is just starting their career, recurring, low-dollar donations will be the most appealing for them. And if they aren’t in a position to give, find ways for them to get involved in events, receptions, and peer-to-peer PAC ambassador programs and keep them attentive and informed through concise digital communications.
3. Find and refine your PAC’s mission and values.
For Gen-Z, philanthropy is integrated into many aspects of their lives, and it’s important that they connect with the PAC’s mission, vision, and values. Honesty and transparency are two of the most important values Gen-Z donors look for in an organization, so encourage open communication between the PAC and its members and ensure information about disbursements and government affairs activities is available at the click of a button on closed-group social media platforms and the PAC website. Most importantly, you need to know your “why” and be able to articulate it before Gen-Z fully dives in.
Not every program is the same! Focused messaging and a clear understanding of your organization’s unique audience will take your communications to the next level. If you have questions about what Sagac can do to help build connections with the growing number of next-generation donors, connect with us today at info@sagac.com.