The Power of Youth Voices in Fundraising

Young people have voices. Young people have passion. Young people have talent.  And their role in fundraising events shouldn’t be overlooked.

The world is now seeing what’s possible when young people step up. Greta Thunberg, Miss Flint and survivors of the Parkland shooting are not waiting for someone else to make a better tomorrow. They’re leading the conversation against climate disruption, racial justice and gun control today.

Across the nonprofit sector, organizations that are integrating youth voices into their events are reporting positive results in both fundraising and guest experience.

Young people with a connection to your work bring energy into the room and allow you to share an inspiring, hopeful message through the possibility of transformation. More importantly, if you’re an organization that serves youth, young voices allow you to show your work in action—not just talk about it.

A strong youth voice can fit into any of the 3 key components of the program: 

Storytelling—building the case for support and lifting energy.

If young people are integral to your programs, putting them on stage as a speaker is a way for you to showcase their talent and the ways your organization lifts them up. Youth voices can speak directly to the impact of your programs from the participant perspective. You can also consider having them perform one of the administrative functions of the evening, such as emceeing or thanking sponsors.

 

 

Fundraising—actualizing the support at the highest moment of engagement.

The transformative impact a program can have on a young person is incredibly powerful. Finding the right young person to be your appeal speaker can dramatically grow your fundraising. They simply need to meet the same requirement as any appeal speaker—to be able to effectively communicate how your organization has changed their life.

 

 

Celebrating—sending your guests home feeling good.

After the fundraising, you want to leave guests feeling good about the event and the impact they’ve had together. Recognizing honorees is a great way to keep this mission-centric. As you’re identifying partners or participants to honor, consider the young people in your community who represent your work and values.