The Generational Giving Report! Melaina Chromy, from Bloomerang, explores the findings of their latest detailed report on how different age groups engage in philanthropy and the implications for nonprofit fundraising.
Melaina begins with the importance of this research, stating that Bloomerang’s goal is to "share this valuable information with the sector," regardless of whether organizations are clients, and highlighting how generational giving data is essential for understanding donor behavior, saying, “If we are able to tailor our communications to a donor’s interest, we are likely to have better fundraising outcomes.”
One of the report's key findings is the impending wealth transfer from the baby boomer generation, estimated at $87 trillion over the next 30 years. Melaina explains, to host Julia Patrick, that nonprofits need to start “nurturing and engaging donors of the next generation” to prepare for this shift. She also draws attention to significant differences in donor preferences, such as how "younger generations place less importance on organizational overhead costs" and focus more on digital presence, while "baby boomers value transparency around overhead."

The conversation also reveals several unexpected findings, including the fact that Gen Z is "very active in volunteering" and prefers in-person fundraising events, which challenges assumptions about their digital-only engagement. They tend to prioritize digital engagement. She shares, “Gen Z places the least importance on organizational overhead and instead looks for an up-to-date social media presence and website.” This generation is also notably active, with volunteer participation rates that outpace both millennials and baby boomers.
In contrast, baby boomers exhibit traditional values, with a strong focus on transparency and organizational overhead. She goes on to explain that “as donors age, they place more importance on overhead costs,” which means nonprofits should be highly transparent about their financial practices. Baby boomers also prefer clear, detailed annual reports and are more likely to be motivated by consistent communication from the nonprofits they support.
The two discuss the importance of consistent, non-ask communication, noting that all generations prefer regular updates on the organization’s impact. Melaina pushes for nonprofits to exceed donor expectations, especially in areas like personalized thank-you messages, as “60% of all donors do not expect to receive a personalized thank you.”

This conversation will provide you and your nonprofit actionable strategies to engage with donors across different generations and highlights the importance of evolving fundraising approaches to meet shifting demographic trends.

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