Millennials: the next civic generation

How are young Americans getting involved in their communities? How might they get more involved in the future? The research agency Achieve along with the Case Foundation and several other research partners have released the 2013 Millennial Impact Report with useful insights. This fourth annual study surveyed 2,665 young Americans who were born between 1979 and 1994. Most were college graduates and 65 percent were employed fulltime.

In 2012, according to the report, 73 percent of Millennials volunteered for a nonprofit organization. Almost four out of five young volunteers said that did so because of their passion for the cause. More than half were motivated by their interest in meeting likeminded volunteers. And nearly 83 percent of young Americans donated money to a nonprofit last year.

Young people value causes over specific organizations. They want to be involved in eradicating global poverty, combating human trafficking, or cleaning up a local watershed. It’s not just about joining the Kiwanis Club or the Elks Lodge. While previous generations joined clubs and organizations first, and only then discovered ways to serve, today’s young Americans see a problem first and then look for a way to solve it.

Read more at Philanthropy Daily here.