Log on and Save the World: Part I

Log on and Save the World
the iGeneration, technology and the future of philanthropy

In case you haven’t heard, the days when you simply wrote a check to charity – when you left money with a community foundation, association or organization and let them go about dispersing it – those days are over. A new generation is writing the checks, (or actually using PayPal) and they are fundamentally different than any generation before them. If you think Millennials (those born between 1979 and 2000) are apathetic or lazy, you have Millennials all wrong. They want to make a big impact and, different from generations before them, they’re thinking “technology first” on their way to save the world.

At heart, the iGeneration is made of change agents. They take to the streets when they think it matters, as with Darfur. They believe in service and want to make a difference, both locally and around the world.

At the same time, these new iInvestors, (as in Impact Investors as we like to call them), are a generation that grew up with and is in some ways fundamentally defined by the Internet. For them there really never was a world before text-messaging and hands free devices, ATMs or digital cameras. Millennials use the Internet to eagerly identify alternative spring breaks and cultural exchanges to Africa or India. They engage the world through Wikipedia and MySpace and YouTube. They make their voices heard through on-line message boards, fill out on-line petitions, and post to blogs, they text-message with their friends around the globe.

But, most interestingly, the iGeneration is already taking philanthropy seriously – and in this way they are also different than any generation before them. Millennials take university courses on corporate social responsibility, environmental protection and social investing. They form their own foundations, after-school clubs in middle-school to learn about giving. You’ll find organizations and associations springing up across the country seeking to attract and provide a philanthropic learning experience for them and their counterparts – including wealth management, grant-reviewing, selection and cooperative giving.

So, the question is… what will we do with our money? Will our approach to philanthropy spur the interest and of others who have come before us and those who will follow? Have we learned from the past, or will we repeat the mistakes we’ve made? Can we contribute to changing the world?

I think we can, if we develop a vision to match our enthusiasm and engage and improve our understanding of technology. Stay tuned…