Bridging the Inter-generational Divide in Your Nonprofit

​Have you heard about the great inter-generational divide facing many organizations today?
​You have probably been part of it and didn’t even realize it. The inter-generational divide refers to the sometimes unfavorable discourse that surfaces during multi-generation interactions.  Maybe you’ve heard that millennials have a sense of entitlement and aren’t easy to work with. Or maybe you’ve heard baby boomers are set in their ways and aren’t willing to try new things. These schools of thought do a disservice to the generations and they are prevalent in all aspects of the work environment, including the nonprofit world.

It helps to understand what groups are out there and the demographic they represent.  Let’s take a look at some of the inter-generational groups you can expect to find in the nonprofit environment:

• Millennials or Gen Y (born 1980-1995).  Millennials favor a multitasking approach and can juggle many responsibilities at once. Millennials are also extremely team-oriented and enjoy collaborating and building friendships with colleagues.  Technology and being connected drive the millennial. They are extremely social media savvy and like to be in the know.
• Xennials (1977-1983).  This smaller piece of the generational pie should not be dismissed.  Wedged between Gen X’ers and Millennials, this group has a keen ability to think abstractly and excel in searching out new solutions, making them great problem solvers.  They grew up in an era where the world wide web was just starting, so they have adapted well to technology trends.
• Generation X or X’ers group (1965-1979).  Gen X’ers are generous with their time and their financial support to nonprofits.  They are ambitious and hardworking, but value the work/life balance. They possess strong technical skills and are more independent than prior generations.  

• Baby Boomers (1946-1964).  Baby boomers are the most generous of all generations, giving of their time and financial support.  According to Forbes, baby boomers are famed for their work ethic and commitment to getting things done.  Between work ethic and sheer years of experience in the workplace, this generation represents a walking trust of organizational knowledge.
• Traditionalist or Silent Generation (born before 1945).  The silent generation was raised with a strong work ethic instilled by their Great Depression era upbringing.  They are fiercely loyal to their employers or their cause. They are determined, and willing to go the distance.  Traditionalists value old-time morals, safety, security, and consistency.

Each of these unique groups of people harbor potentially untapped valuable attributes that can make a difference to your organization.  The most important step is to lose stereotyping and judgmental attitudes towards these generational differences. The key is to embrace the differences and utilize the strengths each generation has to offer.

Nonprofit leaders need to promote inclusion, creative insight, collaboration and communication, ensuring that employees, board members and volunteers follow suit.

Additionally, recognizing these strengths and integrating them into your strategies will help build a well-rounded, functional atmosphere.  An example of this might be embracing mentorship programs that encourage traditionalists and boomers to share organizational knowledge to help develop the millennials and xennials to carry on the organization’s mission. Another option, consider utilizing the collaboration skills of the millennials to lead a team during your next fundraising campaign.

The differences in opinions, values and work ethics should not be admonished but embraced, promoted and valued.  This is how to bridge the inter-generational divide in your nonprofit community.

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“We often hear about stepping outside ourselves, but rarely about stepping outside our generation.” ― Criss Jami, Killosophy