This document discusses generational giving and different generations. It outlines the core values and experiences of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Each generation is defined by a 20-year span and had unique life experiences that shaped their values. The document provides information on how each generation learns, their educational and work experiences, and what motivates them. It aims to help understand generational differences in philanthropic attitudes and behaviors.

1. RANDALL HALLETT
NSFA NATIONAL CONFERENCE, 2015
GENERATIONAL GIVING

2. The Basics
2

3. Each Generation
Consists of approximately a 20-year span (not all
demographers and generation researchers agree on
the exact start/stop dates)
Has a unique set of values
Reacts to the generation before them
Looks at their generation as the standard of
comparison
Looks at the next generation skeptically “these kids
today…”
Those born on the “cusp” may have a blended set of
characteristics
They are either idealistic, reactive, civic or adaptive

4. How Generational Births Will
Impact Retirements
2,500,000
2,700,000
2,900,000
3,100,000
3,300,000
3,500,000
3,700,000
3,900,000
4,100,000
4,300,000
4,500,000
1940
1952
1955
1958
1961
1964
1967
1970
1973
1976
1979
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
births
(Boomers)
(Xers)
(Millennials)

5. Who Is Working Today?
43%
10%14%
33%
Veterans
Boomers
Gen X
Millennials
1,000 die per day
7,198 turned 60 every day in
2006
Youngest are 5 years old
Half the size of the
generations on either side
of them

6. Change in American Workers

7. The Generations

8. The Baby Boomers
1943–1964
Core Values
Optimism
Team Orientation
Personal Gratification
Health and Wellness
Personal Growth
Youth
Work
Involvement
 Divorce reached a low in 1960 of 9%
 Families moved due to GI Bill, GI housing
and industrialization
 First generation to live miles from
extended family
 Family size smaller (2-3 children)
 Few grandparents in the home
 Moms stayed home – no daycare
 Children spent significant time with
adult role models (mostly mom)
 Perception of the world as “safe”

9. Baby Boomers
Important Events
Rosa Parks
First Nuclear Power Plant
The Civil Rights Act
John Glen Orbits the Earth
Cuban Missile Crisis
Martin Luther King Leads March on Washington, D.C.
President John F. Kennedy Assassination
National Organization for Women Founded
Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy Assassinations
Woodstock
Watergate
Kent State Incident
Vietnam War

10. Baby-Boomer Results
Very idealistic - banned together and walked through
life with their fists held high
Generation gap occurred between them and their
parents
Captured phrases like “why be normal” and “question
authority”
They weren’t friendly toward authority figures
Did not get along with their parents and swore they
would not raise their kids like they were raised
As adults - work an average of 55 hours per week

11. How Boomers Learn
Want things to fit into the “big picture”
Want recognition for how well they have done
Team oriented, work well in groups
Like to explore and analyze, look at different
views
Follow instructions well
Good with content

12. Boomer’s Educational
Experiences
Overwhelmed the school system, large class sizes
Ability grouped (red birds and blue birds)
Question authority but respect position
See life as an adventure (and school)
Emphasis on team work (cohort education)
Need silence to concentrate
Were told “you are lucky to be here, others are standing in line to
get in.”
Want to feel valued
Rarely tested and not for school performance (PSAT, SAT)

13. Boomers at Work
Ethic = long hours show commitment
Team oriented and relationship builders
(don’t like conflict – can’t we all just get
along)
Not budget minded
Sensitive to feedback

14. Marketing to Boomers
Are individualistic so they like “customized and
custom-made products”
Want to look successful (lots of stuff)
Seek self-improvement
Products/services that help them reach a balanced
life (work/home)
Like technology but see the problems that come
with it

15. Boomer’s Take-Aways

16. The Gen X
1965-1997
Divorce reached an all-time high
Single-parent families became the norm
Latch-key kids were a major issue of the time
Children not as valued – looked at as a hardship
Families spread out (miles apart)
Family size = 1.7 children (many only-children)
Perception of the world as “unsafe”
Average 10 year old spent 14 ½ minutes a day
with a significant adult role model
Parents looked around and said – we need to do
this better
Core Values
Dedication
Hard Work
Conformity
Law and Order
Patience
Delayed reward
Duty before
pleasure
Adherence to
rules
Honor

17. Gen X
Important Events
 Women’s Liberation Protests
 Watergate Scandal
 Energy Crisis begins
 Tandy and Apple Market PCs
 Mass Suicide in Jonestown
 Three Mile Island
 Iran Hostage Crisis
 John Lennon Shot and Killed
 Ronald Reagan Inaugurated
 Challenger Disaster
 Exxon Valdez Oil Tanker Spill
 HIV

18. Generation X Results
This is the conscientious, extremely pragmatic, self-
sufficient generation that has a ruthless focus on the
bottom-line.
Born and raised at a time when children were at the
bottom of our social priorities, Gen Xers learned that
they could only count on one thing - themselves. As a
result, they are very "me" oriented.
They are not active voters, nor are they deeply
involved in politics in general.
Parents looked around and said “we have to do this
better.”

19. How Gen Xers Learn
Task oriented – like to learn new skills
Speed is important
Self-paced learning, independent learning
Want to have fun while they learn
Informal learning environments are best
Hate group work
Want feedback from teacher

20. Educational Experiences
Learned to rely on self (don’t like group work)
Distrust authority
Seek challenging environment (career education emphasis)
Want feedback on progress
Want to do things their way – like no rules and freedom on
assignments
Had honors programs
Funding cut to education
Testing “mania” began with them
First daycare centers arose with them
Many latch-key kids

21. Gen Xers as Workers
Cynical, pessimistic and impatient with poorer people skills
Want work-life balance
Think globally and seek independence
Like technology and want an informal work environment
Don’t want the boomers’ work ethic
Communication is important and talk to adults as friends/peers (not
impressed with authority)
Believe reward should be based on productivity not hours worked
Want control of self, time and future
Loyalty to people not a company

22. Gen Xer’s Take-Aways

23. The Echo Boom/Millennials…
The Millennials are almost as large as the baby boom
The Millennials are the children born between 1982 and 2002 (peaked in 1990), a
cohort called by various names:
Generation Y Echo Boom
Net GenerationMillennials

24. Millennials
This generation is civic-minded, much like the
previous GI Generation.
They are collectively optimistic, long-term
planners, high achievers with lower rates of violent
crime, teen pregnancy, smoking and alcohol use
than ever before.
This generation believes that they have the
potential to be great and they probably do. We are
looking to them to provide us with a new definition
of citizenship.

25. The Millennial Childhood
The most monumental financial boom in
history.
Steady income growth through the 1990’s.
Still great disparity between races.
Saw their parents lose all their stocks and
mutual funds (college funds) during the early
2000’s.

26. Millennial School Experiences
Many private schools, charter schools, magnet schools – all to
meet the needs of the individual child –many, many choices
School uniforms, child safety, high performance standards,
character education, cooperative learning and community service
Goal oriented – outcome based education (what’s in it for me)
School is a means to an end – one must endure until the next level
Interactive, participatory and engaging – are consulted by adults
Everything 24/7 and available electronically

27. Millennial School Experiences
No “grunt work” - must do “meaningful work”, participate in
decisions
International flavor, celebrate diversity, different is okay
Motivated by working with bright, motivated and moral people
Student makes judgments about truth and believability of what is
taught
Classroom mainstreamed – multiple levels based on ability and
interest
Constantly tested and compared to peers (learned to take tests
so now of little use for college admissions)
Feel pressure for high achievement

28. How Millennials Learn
Try it their way – always looking for better,
faster way of doing things
Prefer graphics before text, reading of
excerpts
Like small and fast processing technology –
best when networked
Want instant gratification and frequent
rewards (spot)

29. How Millennials Learn
Focus on skill development – not memorization of
what they perceive they don’t need to know
Productivity is key – not attendance – so make
class worthwhile or they won’t come
Have different critical thinking skills based on their
high tech world not thought processing (need help
here)
Rely on teacher to facilitate learning
Group think and interaction

30. Millennials Want to Learn
With technology
With each other
Online
In their time
In their place
Doing things that
matter (most
important)
Source: Achievement and the 21st Century Learner.

31. U.S. Total Annual Income by Generation,
2007, 2012 & 2017 (Trillions)
31Source: Javelin Strategy & Research cited in eMarketer 11/3/08 (Latest data available)
$2.96
$4.20
$3.48
$3.29
$3.91
$2.37
$3.44
$3.67
$1.89
Baby Boomers
Generation X
Generation Y
2017 2012 2007

32. Gen Y Are More Likely to Make Their
Own Investment Decisions Than Other
Generations
According to Scottrade, an online investing firm…
51% of Gen y makes their own investment decisions compared with
40% of the total population.
Only 5% of Gen Y has someone else making their investment
decisions, compared with 10% of the total population.
34% of Millennials investors say their investment decisions are
better than average, compared with 25% of the total population.
79% of Gen Y investors are using financial websites to get
information, compared with 48% of the total population.
Scottrade is enhancing educational components of its online
offerings for the Millennial consumer, and anticipating more mobile
investing.
32Source: Marketing Daily, MediaPost 11/12/13)

33. WHAT ABOUT THE 2008 –
2014 RECESSION?
33

34. Debt and Work
Total student loan debt exceeds $1 trillion; avg. debt per 2014
grad = $29,800 (Federal Reserve)
Unemployment rate for recent college grads = 8.8%
(Economic Policy Research Institute)
Between 2000 and 2013, wages for college grads decreased
8.5% or ~$3,200 (EPRI)
1 in 2 American adults aren’t saving for retirement (LIMRA)
39% of millennials expect to work indefinitely & won’t have
enough money to retire (Financial Times)

35. Generation Y Places High Value On
Connection to others
Diversity
Living first, working second
Time with friends
Civic activities
Taking care of the environment
Authenticity
Quality
Access to information
Ongoing learning
Career development
Freedom to travel
35Source: Marketing to Generation Y: What You Can’t Afford Not to Know, by Bea Fields, 12/25/2008

36. Expectation of Privacy
36

37. Helicopter Parenting
37

38. Cell Phone Technology
They all have cell phones and expect
to be in contact 24/7.
Not a phone – a lifestyle management tool
Staying “connected” is essential.
Communication is a safety issue for parents.
Communication has become casual for students
(IM, email and cell phones.

39. What Millennials Want
Ability to work whenever and wherever
they want.
Variation on the job
Continual feedback from supervisors
Opportunities to learn, retool and reinvent
themselves
Challenge, new problems to solve
To be in charge of their lives and future
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007

40. What They Are Not Interested In
Time-honored traditions
Doing things the way they have always
been done
Paying their dues
How their managers got to where they
are (rank)
A work ethic that requires a 10 hour day
Unquestioning loyalty to a company
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the Generational Divide and
Increasing Profits, 2007

41. Milleniam’s Take-Aways

42. Messages that Motivate
Veterans
◦ Your experience is respected here
◦ What has and hasn’t worked in the past is
relevant
◦ Perseverance is valued
Boomers
◦ You are important to our success
◦ Your contribution is unique and important
◦ We need you

43. Messages that Motivate
Gen Xers
◦ Do it your way
◦ There aren’t a lot of rules here
◦ We’re not very corporate
Millennials
◦ You will work with other bright, creative people
◦ You can help turn this company around
◦ You can be a hero here
◦ We value independent workers
◦ Your boss will help you succeed

44. Generation Z/Silents

45. Generation Z/Silents
Starts mid-2000’s until about 2017-2020
Will be raised on technology, they will not be scared of anything, they
will be open to new ideas.
They will be into truth and loyalty and they will not be not afraid to
voice their opinion.
They will be flexible and open to change.
They will be fearless and fun.
They will be the ‘new’ hope for our own future.
Their great-grandparents belong mostly to the Silent Generation and
the Baby boomers form the core of their grandparents.
Their parents are seen as being roughly evenly divided between
Generation X and Generation Y.
http://www.generationzbaby.com/generation-z.html

46. Older Generations Make
Assumptions
That younger generations will measure success just as we have.
Young worker must pay their dues and follow the same paths to success
as previous generations.
The company ladder will remain intact.
Workers go where the jobs are.
Marston, Cam, Motivating the “What’s In It for Me” Workforce: Managing Across the
Generational Divide and Increasing Profits, 2007

47. One Final Word
In case you're worried about what's going to become of the younger
generation, it's going to grow up and start worrying about the younger
generation. (Roger Allen)

48. About Your Presenter
Randall Hallett
Board Member, NSFA
Long time fundraiser (CDO) and advocate for
secondary educational fundraising
Consultant in Healthcare Philanthropy
CFRE, Ed.D. Candidate, JD, MBA, BS
randallhallett@yahoo.com
402.943.6097