Highlights from Latest Research on Young Americans and the Inaugural Influence Nation Summit

Posted on September 17, 2018October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

For the past ten years, a key pillar of our work at the Case Foundation has been focused on understanding and empowering Millennials to act on causes that matter to them. Since 2009, through the Millennial Impact Project, the Case Foundation has worked with researchers to engage more than 100,000 young people to better understand the dynamic between causes and Millennials, with a particular focus on what influences this impactful generation to act for social good.

Building off this work, and guided by both the answers and further questions this research raised, we turned our eye now to how a segment of this generation, Young Americans between 18 and 30, were viewing key issues. Marketers and product developers have long felt that the 18-30 phase of life is when lifelong consumer behaviors are formed, and, therefore, we also explored what influences play a role in social causes for this generation during these formative years.

Highlights from the Influence Nation Summit

With this goal, we supported INFLUENCE | SG to host the Influence Nation Summit. We were delighted to take part in the inaugural Summit this month to share in the discussions on what builds and sustains movements. The summit brought together nearly 400 people to the National Geographic campus here in Washington, DC. Speakers passionately covered many of the key social issues of concern today from climate change and the impact of plastics; to civil rights and issues of race; to gun safety; and LGBTQ rights. Here are only a few of the key moments from the event:

Two National Geographic Explorers—Imogen Napper and Lillygol Sedaghat—who are contributing to the science and telling the story of climate change and the role of individuals and the products we consume. For example, Imogen explained her role in reducing plastics in the environment via the microbeads in face and body washes.

Case Foundation CEO, Jean Case, and Michael Smith—Case Foundation alum, now Executive Director of My Brother’s Keeper, and Director of youth philanthropy at the Obama Foundation—had a powerful discussion on the fearlessness of civil rights leaders and others who have led movements historically and how their work is continued today with efforts like My Brother’s Keeper. This was also an opportunity for us to continue the conversation with Michael that we had begun online, as he was one of the leaders who we invited to participate in a 10-day Instagram Takeover to share a day in their life representing the Millennial generation’s interests on key issues and movements, which you can still see here.

Watch the discussion here!

We were happy to also promote our Be Fearless campaign off-stage in the lounge by inviting attendees to add their picture to a larger mosaic, telling how they too will be fearless and change the world. The lounge came together as a truly inspiring setting where local artists’ paintings, photography and live installations were a great reminder of the power of creatives to influence movements and the influence of movements to inspire the work of artists.

When discussing influential movements today, it is impossible to leave out the leadership of the Stoneman Douglas High Students and the March for Our Lives that continues to influence young activism across the country. It is also impossible to ignore the unfortunate event that led to their social and political activism. We had the opportunity to hear from Fred Guttenberg, the father of Jamie Guttenberg who was sadly killed in the Parkland, FL shootings this February, during the afternoon, when he delivered an impassioned call to individuals to vote to change policies they do not believe in.

Key Findings from the new report Influencing Young America to Act

The issues and movements highlighted at the summit are among the key social issues and movements that young Americans raised in a nationwide survey of 1,100 Americans between the ages of 18-30 that Cause and Social Influence fielded in August. As sponsor of this research, we are excited to share the results of this initial research as it can inform all those who work in the social sector—nonprofits, corporations and government—as well as the media, about the motivations and influences that lead Young Americans to take action on the issues they care about. For example, the leading issues of concern for survey respondents are: civil rights/racial discrmination, gun safety, immigration and climate change, which were all brought to life on stage through robust conversations at the Influence Nation Summit.

Within the full report, there are a number of other valuable findings, including these two important takeaways.

Television news media plays an unexpectedly important role in informing Young Americans about key issues.

In our past work researching the Millennial generation, we, like many others, have noted the powerful role of peer influence when it comes to partaking in donations and volunteerism. Therefore, were were surprised to see that among the 18-30 year-olds surveyed, television news media was cited as the primary way Young Americans became aware of social issues.

To understand the degree of television media’s influence, you have to look at each individual issue:

57 percent of those surveyed who believe immigration is the top issue facing our nation first learned about it via television news media; compared with
47 percent of those who are concerned about gun safety; and,
44 percent of respondents who believe civil rights/racial discrimination is the top issue facing our nation; while,
Only 36 percent of those concerned about climate change cited news on television as central to their becoming aware of the issue.

Meanwhile, social media was still the number one way that they learned about social movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo. The role of TV news media continued to show its power in movement building for this generation as the second most cited source of awareness about major movements and the number one source for the movement #AllLivesMatter.

Young Americans believe their influence can have an impact and state an intention to vote in the November Midterm Elections.

While intending to vote does not always translate into actual voting, 66 percent of respondents said they intend to participate in the midterms this year. Young Americans, to varying degrees across demographics, believe they can best exert their influence on government to create the change they want to see through voting. Specifically:

77 percent of Hispanics believe their vote will lead to desired change, as do
73 percent of Asians,
69 percent of Caucasians, and
55 percent of African Americans.

The research shows a significant interest in exerting influence on government by voting, both because a significant portion of those surveyed do not think the the country is going in the right direction and they have low trust in government to do the right thing. According to the survey, 48 percent of Young Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction. This dissatisfaction outweighed the 27 percent of respondents who thought the country was on the right track.

When it comes to trust, the only institutions that young people find less trustworthy than government are corporations. In order of most trustworthy to least trustworthy, respondents listed key groups as follows:

Myself and people like me
Nonprofit organizations
Social movements
Local government
Federal government

In light of this less than positive outlook on government, it is heartening to see that Young Americans who were surveyed are not intending to sit on the sidelines. They want to do something about the issues that concern them, and we hope to see this interest turn into action and increased voting this November.

As we embark on this extension of our past work and continue to explore not only how 18-30 year-olds in America consider social issues and major movements but what influences their interests and willingness to act, we welcome your comments, insights and voice in sharing this work and its findings. We look forward to continuing this conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #CauseInfluence as well as in the Case Foundation’s weekly newsletter, Breaking Good.

Download the report here.

The Next Step in Examining What Influences Young Americans to Engage in Social Causes

Posted on August 29, 2018October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

Influence Nation Summit is on September 6th in Washington, DC

Where to eat, what movie to see or which insurance plan to select—these are just a fraction of the personal decisions we make every day based on influences we may or may not be aware of. As consumers, community members, employees and in all of the everyday roles we assume, the decisions we make are often influenced by advertising, online reviews, media, recommendations by celebrities and friends, etc. But are these the same sources that influence us to get involved in trying to remedy a social issue we hear or care about?

We’re determined to find out. For the last ten years, the Case Foundation has led extensive research on how the Millennial generation engages with social issues and causes. From the launch of Social Citizens in 2008 and continuing from 2011 to 2017 with the Millennial Impact Report, in partnership with Derrick Feldmann and the researchers at Achieve, we’ve surveyed more than 100,000 Millennials in an effort to understand why and how our nation’s largest generation, Millennials, were taking action on the causes that they care about most. We initiated this work a decade ago because we saw the potential impact of this young generation and sought to gauge how their voice, digital networks, idealism and commitment to innovative ideas could bring about true social change.

As we continue to build on the spirit of curiosity that powered our last ten years to research the Millennial generation and a belief that understanding what influences young Americans to take or not take action is important for all in the social sector, the Foundation is excited to support the launch of a new body of research on these topics focused on 18-30 year old Americans from Cause and Social Influence and to support the inaugural Influence Nation Summit on September 6 in Washington, DC.

A significant portion of the new summit will focus on the social and media influences that drive young Americans to action on causes and participation in movements. We are looking forward to joining this important conversation, where we will join with others to share our own fearless journey, and learn from the expert organizers and communicators powering key movements today. The organizers of the summit have pulled together a compelling list of voices including:

Michael Skolnik, who was described in the New York Times as “the man you go to if you want to leverage the power of celebrity and the reach of digital media to soften the ground for social change.”
National Geographic storyteller Lillygol Sedaghat who aims to inspire conscious consumerism – the realization that every choice we make affects the environment – and spark a global discussion on trash.
Christine Montenegro McGrath whose work transforming Mondelez International’s cocoa supply chain seeks to apply big and small actions every day to positively affect people and the planet.

See the full list of speakers here

We’re experiencing the pull of powerful movements today. And this leads us to ask: what drives the power behind one idea to spread like wildfire, becoming a culture shifting movement, and another to remain an idea shared by only a relatively few. As we seek to answer this and other key questions, we must learn to understand the role of influence over individuals and the masses. This is particularly important if we hope to inspire people to take action on causes we all care about.

That’s why we’re inviting you to join the first step in the journey to examine how social movements arise and lead people from understanding to action to sustained behavior change to, we hope, real, measurable progress on the world’s social challenges—the Influence Nation Summit!

The Summit will only be the beginning and we hope to see you in D.C. and online as we discuss the power of influence to lead Young Americans to action using #INSummit18. Don’t worry, if you can’t make it in person, we’ll be streaming the sessions live.

Tickets and Scholarships for the first Influence Nation Summit are still available.

VIDEO: Inclusive Entrepreneurship at MCON 2016

Posted on September 9, 2016October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by Calvin Millien, Case Foundation intern.

At MCON 2016 this past June, one of the themes attendees explored was around inclusive entrepreneurship—lifting up all entrepreneurs, particularly women and people of color, in all places in order to create stronger communities, close the opportunity gap and scale creative solutions to persistent problems.

To delve into this subject, Derrick Feldmann, Founder of Achieve and MCON, hosted two special panelists: Karla Monterroso of Code2040, an organization that provides $40,000 to seven entrepreneurs of color determined to turn their ideas into reality; and Brian Ferguson of Start Line, an online platform designed to equip returning, formerly incarcerated citizens with the tools necessary to become active and entrepreneurial contributors to our society. Together, they discuss the entrepreneurial landscape and realities for Black and LatinX communities specifically. Hear their insights into how together, we can support inclusive entrepreneurship.

To see more from these great speakers, check out their exclusive Facebook Live interview with the Case Foundation’s own Jade Floyd.

Millennial Employees & The Power Of Influence

Posted on June 22, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by Derrick Feldmann on behalf of the Case Foundation:

Who will you influence?

If you’ve ever had the experience of managing other employees, you understand just how influential (for better or worse) your words and actions can be.

Of course, your colleagues have lives and relationships outside of work, but we spend a significant portion of the day with our co-workers. As supervisors, we yield tremendous potential to influence employees, learn their passions and leverage them to cultivate a more engaged workforce. The question is whether or not we will recognize and use this influence for the benefit of social good.

Last year, I moderated a discussion on corporate social responsibility and Millennial engagement for an event at a large telecommunications company. On stage, I led a panel that included a Millennial employee who had been at the company for two years and her direct supervisor. During the discussion, it became clear to me that the Millennial employee was looking for her supervisor’s approval and encouragement to participate in the company’s cause work. However, the employee’s direct supervisor maintained a passive stance during their responses.

These dynamics made me wonder: Who influences a Millennial employee to participate in a company-wide day of service? What inspires Millennials and their managers to donate through company-sponsored giving? How does the manager’s views on company cause work influence the employees? And what about the CEO?

In last year’s study, we learned that Millennials look to their employer to be active in social good and that company-sponsored cause work helps cultivate a well-rounded, motivated work culture. But we still wanted to know who encourages participation in company cause work. What inspires Millennial employees to move from the point of interest to a place of action?

The purpose of this year’s 2015 Millennial Impact Report is to understand the relationships between Millennial employees and their managers. The average American employee spends 47 hours a week in the workplace. As Millennials increasingly make up the majority of many companies, we have to shape cultures that empower this generation of “do-gooders.”

In our first phase of research, we’ve found that Millennial employees are essentially disrupting the traditional hierarchy of influence. Most companies are modeled on the premise that the highest ranking employee (the CEO) influences participation and culture the most, followed by other executives, managers and then peers. However, our research shows that for Millennials, their managers or direct supervisors influence participation and culture the most when it comes to corporate social responsibility and company cause work.

In fact, peers and direct co-workers are the most likely individuals to influence Millennial employees to participate in company cause work. Managers also influence participation, and direct managers carry much more influence than higher-level executive employees. Over 27 percent of Millennial employees said they are more likely to donate to a cause if their supervisor does; while 46 percent of employees are likely to donate if a co-worker asks them to. Interestingly, only 21percent of Millennial employees said they are more likely to make a donation if the CEO or a top-ranking executive asks them to.

Today, we see influence growing more at the bottom of the hierarchy. A manager’s personal involvement with causes directly impacts engagement for the employees they supervise. Basically, corporate culture and CSR engagement still require executive-level buy-in, but grassroots support is vital all the way down to the peer level if you want to see true involvement.

To get the full report and recommendations from this year’s study, download the 2015 Millennial Impact Report, which will be available for free on Wednesday, June 24.

You can get an advanced copy of the report buy purchasing an in-person Premium Ticket to MCON 2015, happening June 24-25 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Can’t make it to Chicago? Sign up to watch MCON online for free.

Derrick Feldmann is the producer of MCON, the nation’s premier conference on Millennials and causes. He leads the research efforts for The Millennial Impact Project and serves as president of Achieve, a research and creative agency for causes.

The Power of Influence: Get Ready for MCON 2015

Posted on May 21, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by Derrick Feldmann on behalf of the Case Foundation:

In 2010, Achieve and the Case Foundation began an effort to understand the dynamics between organizations and a new generation of donors and activists. Together, we established the Millennial Impact Project to fill a knowledge gap that existed in the field: How does the Millennial generation connect, involve and support causes?

This research has helped thousands of organizations and companies reach and activate this generation of do-gooders, but we didn’t want our findings to stay just on paper; we wanted to cultivate a learning experience. That is why we launched MCON in 2012, and it has since grown into the nation’s premier conference on the movements that are improving our world and how the next generation is shaping the work we do in communities across the country.

Year after year, MCON proves to be an unforgettable experience for every online and in-person attendee. Participants come from across the country to discover how the next generation is influencing their world and the way they operate within it. MCON provides the foundation for understanding today’s cause movements and how to move interest in a cause into action for a cause.

In that spirit, MCON 2015 will focus on the concept of influence. Specifically, we will explore the power of influence through “art, media business and place.” In today’s super connected world, we are constantly being influenced to act. This year, we want to understand how these four industries influence people to ‘do good’ and act on behalf of an issue. We will discuss ways to bring people together, activate the next generation and create company and organizational cultures that establish openness, accessibility and transparency.

To help the audience understand the power of influence, we’re gathering an incredible lineup of entrepreneurs, activists, artists and visionaries who are influencing others to ‘do good’.

Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND Snacks, will headline the first night of this two-day conference. Daniel is a pioneering social entrepreneur known in the international community for developing business models that integrate social objectives with sustainable market-driven forces. He founded KIND Healthy Snacks in 2004 with the mission of making the world a little kinder, one snack and act at a time. Today, KIND is available at more than 150,000 retailers and is the fastest-growing snack company in the U.S., and the KIND Movement has inspired nearly a million acts of kindness among its community.

In the art section, we’re highlighting designers and artists whose projects have increased awareness and inspired change. Sarah Urist Green is the creator and curator of The Art Assignment, an educational video series produced by PBS Digital Studios that introduces us to the most innovative minds in art today, practicing alternative approaches to art-making. Designer Stephen Kenn will also present on some of the ideas and works that have made him one of the most sought-after artists of our time.

This year, MCON also features several journalists and media professionals who are experts in highlighting social issues. Peter Koechley, for example, served as an editor for The Onion before co-founding Upworthy. To date, the Upworthy community has dedicated nearly 2 billion minutes of attention to important stories for a better world, ranging from the criminal justice system reform to advertising’s adverse effects on body image to clean energy.

The business session will include social entrepreneurs, companies and leaders who are transforming business models to influence social change. One speaker in this session, Daniel Jae-Won Lee, Executive Director of the Levi Strauss Foundation, will present on how his organization advances pioneering social change in the areas of HIV/AIDS, worker rights and well being, asset building and social justice in communities touched by Levi Strauss & Co.’s business.

The place session features civic and cause activists who are driving community and cultural change. Fagan Harris, CEO and President of Baltimore Corps, an organization dedicated to building a stronger Baltimore by mobilizing a new generation of leaders focused on urban renewal. We’ll also hear from the co-founder and president of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, Tyson Gersh. Tyson uses urban agriculture as a platform to promote education, sustainability and community to solve some of the social issues currently facing Detroit.

That just scratches what will happen at MCON this year.

You’ll want to attend MCON if you are a:

Cause leader seeking to change the culture of your organization and better engage a new generation of cause enthusiast.
Cause marketer looking to build an effective platform to move individuals from cause enthusiasm to action.
Cause enthusiast looking to embark on a new personal journey of social good that you haven’t yet defined.

Join us at MCON June 24-25 and discover the power of influence. There are two ways to experience this year’s event. Attend in person at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, or you can watch both days of speaker presentations online. Learn more and register at mcon.events.

The Future of Your Nonprofit Organization And Why You Need to Join This Conversation

Posted on July 11, 2013November 1, 2018 by Case Foundation

Written by Derrick Feldmann on behalf of the Case Foundation:

“Why do you care so much about Millennials?”

A person in the audience at one of my recent speaking engagements asked me this question in relation to my research, The Millennial Impact, and the book I co-authored, Cause for Change: The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement.

Seems like a reasonable question, but some of you may be surprised by my answer:

I care about Millennials getting involved in causes, but I care more about the state of the organizations that are trying to make a difference in our communities. I worry they are not prepared to engage Millennials who want to be involved and have not adapted to the growing business changes this generation and others are demanding, such as: transparency, real time reporting, digital connectedness, and collaborative leadership.

Lets face it. Today we are dealing with a whole new way to do business and social sector work that is playing an increasingly important role across sectors.

We have websites that allow us to connect with anyone needing help in communities we never heard of or have ever dreamed of visiting.

I can watch polar bears in the Arctic in real time to see what is happening to their ecosystem, and if so moved can support efforts to preserve their habitat with several clicks of a button.

The concept of workplace teams now means a team of individuals not based on location, but rather brought together by talent and expertise.

We hear about tragic news—such as the Boston bombings—one second after it happens in less than 140 characters.

This is not meant to scare us, but rather to help us change the way we operate … in order to easily invite anyone from anywhere ‘in’ who wants to help, or respond when asked by our constituents to react to local needs, and innovate when necessary.

Why so much attention on Millennials?

It’s simple.

They are the largest generation with more than 80 million in their ranks.
Their consumer discretionary spending amounts to $300 billion each year.
They are entering our workforce and as a result other generations are finding themselves challenged by this generation’s work/life blending concept.
They want to conquer the world.

Perhaps most importantly, they want to accomplish all of this regardless of what existing institutions are already trying to do. For some, this “Millennial” approach may be frustrating, while for others this only adds to the intrigue of this generation and increases their desire to find common ground with Millennials.

The bottom line is that Millennials want the same thing you do—to offer ideas, be challenged, and to create solutions to our pressing problems. They want to be involved in causes, but not every organization is open—open to the ways the generation seeks to be involved. Nor are they open to the idea that today’s public expectation is that the organization is more human and transparent than ever before. Millennials are knocking on the doors of these organizations and asking them to listen. Unfortunately, we see that some organizations shut them, and any generation that disagrees, out with the way they do business.

So then the question is whether or not all generations of constituents, volunteers, staff members, and leaders for a common good in our communities (however you define that community), can find a way to work together in order to reach the impact we all desire.

The answer is that we have to, because if we don’t, we run an even bigger risk. Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation, put it eloquently in the foreword of Cause for Change:

“If government or nonprofits aren’t moving fast or being effective, Millennials will channel their efforts through corporations or communities. And if corporations and communities aren’t working they’ll use their dollars, followers, and friends to demand change or to support those institutions that are making change happen on their terms.”

Rather than perpetuate the ongoing development of more organizations, why not find better ways to get Millennials and organizations working together?

So then what’s it going to take?

Organizations interested in operating differently—more openly, creating more collaborative work and constituent environments, and refining how external audiences can communicate with, involve and give so it is easier, faster, and more trustworthy.

At the same time, Millennials must be willing to come to organizations with better expectations of how institutions are ever evolving. This is a time of evolution where change does not happen overnight. Millennials must recognize that organizations possess much of the historical knowledge of community building and valuable ability to address needs.

We need an environment where both sides can excel with each other. Where conversation and dialogue about the newest ways to build these movements and how organizations can adapt.

That is why we built MCON—a platform to create dialogue among executive leaders wanting to engage the Millennial generation, but who need assistance to get going. MCON is a day of thought leadership from both Millennials and non-Millennials talking about their experiences, sharing what has failed, and collaborating on ways in which they will innovate as they go about their journey of redefining their organization. This year, MCON13 will take place on July 18 both online (FREE livestream) and in person (register) in Indianapolis, IN.

After MCON13, the conversation will continue with some of the best leaders and practitioners who are actively using social media, service and fundraising techniques to engage Millennials. This 12-month program, MI Talks, is included with every in person or online paid ticket to MCON. Participants will build upon the thought leadership gained at MCON13 with specific strategies and tactics from organizations such as Crochet Kids or Water.org.

I know the generation may frustrate you and make you work hard for their dollars and time, but trust me, magic truly happens when Millennials and organizations come together for a common good. Join us at MCON13 to hear how your organization can get started with a new approach to how you work with and for a generation that is ready and waiting to be engaged.

Register to attend MCON in person or online on July 18 at themillennialimpact.com.

Derrick Feldmann is the CEO of Achieve Guidance. You can follow him on Twitter @derrickfeldmann.

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Highlights from the Influence Nation Summit

Key Findings from the new report Influencing Young America to Act

Television news media plays an unexpectedly important role in informing Young Americans about key issues.

Young Americans believe their influence can have an impact and state an intention to vote in the November Midterm Elections.

Download the report here.

Build Your BE FEARLESS Style On ReadBeFearless.com