How Millennials are Driving the Future of Social Entrepreneurship

Posted on August 20, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

Editors note: Entries for the competition described below are now closed.

Social entrepreneurship is the next generation’s secret weapon for tackling chronic social challenges and creating the change they want to see. What do they know that many others have yet to realize? As Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation notes, “Like other young generations before them, they are idealistic, but what sets this generation apart is that they are turning their idealism into action.” Millennials after all are known for their collective ability to pave their own pathways, create new solutions to old problems and advance the issues about which they feel passionate—in order to foster meaningful impact on a scale unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

To help catalyze this growing movement, the Case Foundation is proud to join Forbes and several leading foundations and entrepreneurs in the Forbes $1 million Change the World competition. We are looking for for-profit and nonprofit leaders from around the world (under the age of 30) who have disruptive and scalable ideas with the potential to change the world. If that sounds like you or someone you know we encourage you to apply before August 26!

To really understand what makes next gen social entrepreneurs special I talked with a 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee, Fagan Harris, CEO and President of Baltimore Corps. As a recognized changemaker Harris is actively changing the way we think about leadership and professional development. Through the work of Baltimore Corps, his team is cultivating the next generation of social impact leaders by placing talented young professionals at organizations that are at the forefront of social change. His team is transforming the city of Baltimore—one fellow at a time. Harris is also a passionate evangelist for Baltimore and is proud to work every day strengthening America’s “greatest city.”

What makes the next gen—under age 30—uniquely positioned to create transformative change in today’s world? What do they know that others don’t?

Harris: Apart from perhaps the rise of the middle class in China, the coming of age of the Millennial Generation is the biggest activation of talent anywhere on Earth. For the first time in decades, Baby Boomers have been surpassed in numbers by a younger generation—a generation that I think is defined by its ambition, interconnectedness and deep eagerness to engage in solving important problems.

I think both as a product of technology and of their immense talent, Millennials have tremendous options. If they aren’t happy in their roles or if their skills are not being fully utilized, this generation is particularly savvy in its ability to pivot and seek out new opportunities. The dream of working for a single employer for one’s entire career is a thing of the past. I think a product of that fluidity and wealth of options is that Millennials are more active in seeking out work that is highly meaningful to them, and that often translates to cause-driven work.

It is something of a perfect storm. You have a huge population of people that is highly mobile, extremely capable and deeply values-driven. And they’re up for grabs. Whatever cities, causes and industries can secure Millennials as they develop and plant roots will be in an amazing position to succeed.

What is the biggest obstacle or challenge facing Millennial social entrepreneurs today that keeps them from ultimate success?

Harris: Our biggest obstacle was our own mentality: our mistake was waiting to grow our team. Our initial philosophy was to establish the model, grow slowly and gradually expand our capacity. While it is certainly necessary to grow at an intentional rate, and there is security in gradual expansion, our greatest limiting factor by far was our hesitation to invest in and grow our staff. One of the most important lessons we learned in the early-goings of our organization’s life cycle was that our team is the single greatest investment we can make in our future—that the expansion of our core team doesn’t depend on the capacity we’ve built, but rather our ability to expand our capacity depends on the contributors we add. There will likely be times when you don’t feel ready to make the leap, but it may be the most important thing your organization can do.

What advice do you have for the next gen applicants to the Forbes Under 30 $1 Million Change the World Competition?

Harris: Be bold, take risks, don’t be afraid to fail, and if you know your idea can change the world, be ready to prove it.

Are you a social entrepreneur ready to prove you can change the world? Enter the Forbes Under 30 $1 million Change the World Competition by August 26!

A Hot Summer for Impact Investing

Posted on August 17, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

The past few months have been full of news on the growing impact investing sector. Coming off of the announcements earlier this year—Bain Capital starting an impact fund under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, BlackRock starting an impact practice and Darren Walker and the Ford Foundation taking leadership of the U.S. National Advisory Board on Impact Investing—Jean Case recently described the increased buzz and activity as A New Inning for Impact Investing. She shares her insights on the growing movement that has until recently been in “spring training,” and an all-star line-up that is now taking shape.

We’ve summarized several key pieces of news from the past few months so you can read all about the latest updates. We look forward to seeing even more momentum this year!

Global Progress on Impact Investing

The Social Impact Investment Taskforce, established under the British presidency of the G8 in 2013, met in London in July to talk about progress achieved by member countries and to discuss what’s next for the group. Private and public sector representatives from G7 countries, the EU, Australia, Brazil, Israel, India, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, China and others were present. Sir Ronald Cohen, Chair of the Taskforce, opened the Plenary Meeting by saying that “it’s impossible to stop an idea whose time has come,” and country report-outs on progress seemed to strongly support that statement. You can find presentations and reports from the Plenary Meeting on the Taskforce website.

New Report: Impact Investing Can Provide Market-Rate Returns

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and Cambridge Associates released results from a new study, the Impact Investing Benchmark. The report presents aggregate financial performance from 51 private equity and venture capital impact investment funds that have the intention to generate measurable social impact alongside a financial return. The report reveals that many of the early funds, established between 1998 and 2004, have achieved market rate or above market rate returns, demonstrating that impact investments don’t necessarily require financial sacrifice. GIIN and Cambridge Associates will provide quarterly updates on the benchmark.

Mixed Results for Social Impact Bonds

In an attempt to more effectively combat youth recidivism at the Rikers Island jail in New York, Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg Philanthropies launched the first Social Impact Bond (SIB) in the United States in 2012. The program provided cognitive behavioral therapy to youth at Rikers in an attempt to reduce their likelihood of returning to jail. Unfortunately, the new therapy didn’t work to reduce recidivism at Rikers, so the program has ended, and Goldman Sachs and Bloomberg Philanthropies have lost their $7.2 million investment.

Technically, the SIB worked: the program didn’t generate results, so taxpayers didn’t have to pay for it. Of course, we all hoped that the new intervention would have reduced recidivism. However, the pioneering model enabled government to experiment on providing a new and different service that might have led to better outcomes, but without the financial risk. This model of de-risking will hopefully lead to more innovation in provision of services even when government budgets are tight.

There was more positive news out of the UK, where three SIBs returned investor capital. Each of the three SIB partners—Career Connect, Teens & Toddlers and Advisa—met their goals, and investors received a financial return ahead of schedule. The nonprofits worked with Social Finance to improve educational participation for 4,000 teens through a number of activities, including job coaching and after school programs.

Better Outcomes at Lower Cost: Congressman John Delaney’s TEDx Talk on Pay for Success

Congressman John Delaney has been a consistent advocate for Social Impact Bonds and Pay For Success models as a means to address three challenges in government: lack of funding, inability to innovate and insufficient data on social impact. Watch Congressman Delaney’s call-to-action to “put aside the ideological divide” and “stand up for a smarter government” that can “intervene and make a difference in people’s lives but is focused on innovation, fiscal responsibility and focused on new ways of delivering its services.”

Goldman Sachs Asset Management Acquires Imprint Capital

In July, Goldman Sachs Asset Management announced its acquisition of Imprint Capital, an impact investing advisory firm. This acquisition highlights the growing need for impact investing experts within the traditional asset management field and a growing demand for products that consider environmental, social and governance as well as other impact metrics.

Millennial Entrepreneurs Get a Chance to Turn Ideas Into Reality

The Case Foundation is a proud sponsor of the Forbes $1 million Change-the-World Social Entrepreneurs Competition, which will identify and reward young social entrepreneurs leading for-profit and nonprofit social enterprises that address global challenges. This competition presents an opportunity for bright minds under 30 to change the way we approach social issues of our time. If you’re under 30 and changing the world, or you know someone who is, please apply! The deadline is August 26.

Excited about the news and want to learn more about impact investing? Follow our twitter feed @CaseFoundation, and check out the Case Foundation’s A Short Guide to Impact Investing.

Business as a Force for Social Good

Posted on June 29, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by J.D. Brady on behalf of the Case Foundation:

At the Case Foundation, we believe impact investing is an excellent example of how business and philanthropy can work hand-in-hand to drive social change. We applaud the work of for-profit enterprises that deliver both a financial and social return, and we encourage investors to support the growth of these companies.

J.P. Morgan’s Nicholas Tedesco is doing just that–creating a bridge between for-profit and non-profit worlds. He joined us at MCON 2015—our annual event that brings together thought leaders from across sectors to explore new ideas regarding engagement with the Millennial generation. As a Senior Philanthropic Advisor in the J.P. Morgan Philanthropy Centre, Nicholas helps clients achieve their philanthropic goals. Before joining J.P. Morgan, Nicholas was with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In that role, Nicholas helped launch the Giving Pledge, an undertaking that encourages the world’s wealthiest people to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic endeavors. To date, nearly 200 philanthropists have signed the pledge.

The Case Foundation sat down with Nicholas to discuss the Millennial generation’s approach to investing, where the impact investing sector is headed and what challenges leaders in the philanthropic space.

CF: How do you see Millennials engaging in philanthropy?

NT: It has been widely talked about that we are in the midst of the greatest wealth transfer in history–-the next generation will inherit an estimated $59 trillion over the next 40 years and are positioned to be some of the most influential donors in history. We are seeing some interesting trends among Millennials with respect to their giving. It is starting earlier: wealth is being made at a much earlier age and on a much larger scale than ever before. And people are looking to give back much earlier. They are taking a venture approach–-they are looking to address large-scale social problems with a more hands-on and results-oriented approach. They are also willing to experiment and test new approaches and are more apt to employ nontraditional methods like impact investing.

CF: What is the most interesting thing that you’ve seen in the last year regarding impact investing?

NT: One of the most interesting things I have seen in the last year is the rise in popularity of social impact bonds. Although they are still largely in their infancy, social impact bonds are gaining traction. Utah is spearheading a program that will bring a lot of attention to the “pay for success” model, as are California and Oregon. Although the model will likely never be widely adopted due to its reliance on the government, it is shedding light on the importance of impact metrics.

CF: Is the impact investing movement growing? Do you think we’re at a tipping point?

NT: I absolutely believe that the impact investing movement is growing–-particularly on the west coast. Its core tenants appeal to younger donors who are eager to tackle longstanding social issues with a multipronged approach. We are also seeing an increased awareness among the business community that social and economic returns do not have to be mutually exclusive and decoupled. I do not think we are at a tipping point (yet). We need a few more years to allow more deals to surface, investments to mature, and thought leaders (like Jean and Steve Case) to inform the general public. Impact investing is still a largely unknown and young movement and people are reluctant to be a pioneer.

CF: What are the greatest challenges philanthropic leaders are addressing today?

NT: One of the greatest challenges philanthropy–-as a discipline–-is facing is how to define and measure impact. Americans gave a record $335 billion to charitable causes in 2013, yet it is hard to quantify the impact of those gifts. There are very few philanthropists who are equipped to adequately assess the yield of their grants–-with a large number of donors simply trusting their grantees to execute a successful strategy. However, we are seeing an increased focus on measurement and evaluation from philanthropists at all levels, and as a result, we are seeing donors who are much more engaged with the organizations that they choose to fund.

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts featuring speakers from MCON 2015. Check back to learn about more innovators and leaders from the private, nonprofit and public sectors. Also, be sure to check out the 2015 Millennial Impact Report.

Reinventing Civic Engagement: A Conversation With Carol Coletta

Posted on June 23, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by J.D. Brady on behalf of the Case Foundation:

The Millennial Generation is tech savvy, entrepreneurial and eager to make a positive impact in the world—just like the team at the Knight Foundation. The Knight Foundation works to revolutionize philanthropy each day as they support of quality journalism, engage local communities and ignite media innovation. They believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. This month the foundation released a study focused on Millennial voters and found three-quarters of Millennials cited the biggest obstacle to local voting was a lack of information.

Carol Coletta, Vice President of Community and National Initiatives at the Knight Foundation, understands the importance of informed communities and increasing Millennials engagement. An expert on the development of cities, Carol shared with the Case Foundation her insights on leadership, trends shaping cities and challenges civic leaders face today. We are truly excited to learn even more from Carol during her talk at MCON 2015.

CF: The organization has embarked on several “city learning tours” that expose leaders from Knight to communities. What have you learned from these tours and the cities themselves?

CC: First, leadership in communities can come from unexpected places. There is no longer a leadership formula that is title-bound. You don’t have to have a certain title, including CEO, to shape your city’s future. Leadership is all about who can muster followers. Second, leaders with new ideas shouldn’t fly solo. It’s hard to get anything done. Therefore, we take groups of leaders from a single city on these trips so that they learn together and can reinforce each other when they go home. Typically, too, these leaders are not from a single organization. We like to mix it up with representation across sectors. Leaders from various cities are eager to learn from one another. People get new ideas from their peers in other cities, and then they form their own exchanges.

CF: How can cities increase civic engagement with Millennials in their communities?

CC: Accepting that Millennials are generally not going to engage on institutional terms is key. They aren’t going to show up every Wednesday to pledge allegiance and hear a speaker. So we have to accept that Millennials will reinvent civic engagement on their terms. It will be more informal and more episodic with more immediate and tangible results. We need to do all we can to make it easy for them to engage, including reviewing a lot of out-of-date rules and ways that discourage the kind of action they want to put their energies behind. On the other hand, we need to keep pushing them to turn their episodic efforts into transformational change and not ignore the hard work of governing.

CF: How do you see Millennials engaging in the philanthropic and community development space?

CC: One of the most encouraging trends I see is the move by Millennials back to cities — specifically to the heart of the city. And when they get there, they aren’t content to leave things as they are. They are taking over the streets with bike advocacy and parklets, starting charter schools, fixing up old building, hacking government data, opening small businesses, reinventing gathering spaces. You see it everywhere. For a lot of millennials, philanthropy and community development have mashed up into one thing.

This is the third post in a series of blogs featuring speakers from MCON 2015. Check back to learn about more innovators and leaders from the private, nonprofit and public sectors. Also, be sure to tune in to the livestream of MCON on June 24th and 25.

Making Media Matter: A Conversation with Upworthy’s Peter Koechley

Posted on June 17, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by J.D. Brady on behalf of the Case Foundation:

Read any article penned on Upworthy and you are left with an important takeaway: what’s popular can also be what matters. Curators at the publication scour the web each day to find compelling stories about equality, justice, health and more to share with their community. By spreading digital content that educates and inspires users, Upworthy brings massive amounts of attention to critical and complex issues facing society. To date, their community has dedicated nearly 2 billion minutes of attention to stories that matter.

Like Upworthy, the Case Foundation believes in the power of media and technology to mobilize communities and facilitate social change. We were thrilled to have the chance to speak with Peter Koechley, Co-Founder of Upworthy, about his strategies to spread messages that matter and engage with the millennial generation.

CF: Upworthy grew to a massive scale incredibly quickly. What is in your secret sauce?”

PK: We created Upworthy to draw massive amounts of attention to things that matter. And since the most important things are often challenging, complex and confusing, we focus extra-hard on figuring out how to tell those stories in a compelling, emotionally resonant way — so that people want to engage with them – and come back to learn more the next day, too. There’s also so much depressing, disempowering news in the world (see: your nightly newscast) that there’s a real hunger for grounded, hopeful stories about things getting better.

CF: What tactics do you use at Upworthy to engage with audiences, especially Millennials?

PK: The Millennial generation is spending lots of their time on mobile devices and social networks. We believe that it’s crucial to reach people where they are already are, as the battle for attention is increasingly spread across more devices and platforms. So we’ve put a lot of effort into making sure Upworthy’s 100 percent native experience is on your phone, passed along to you by one of your friends.

CF: Have you seen a shift in the media’s role in social causes? Where do you think the media’s engagement in the social impact space is heading?

PK: I’m a big fan of people writing authentically about what they believe in, rather than acting as if they had no personal take on anything important. It’s been great to see space for that open up over the past decade.

And then on a larger level, I believe media is, and should be, a powerful force for nurturing empathy within a society. Empathy is caring about people other than yourself, and treating their wants and needs as seriously as you treat your own — and it’s a necessary pre-condition for so much of the social change we need.

Media can play a transformational role by extending the empathy that lurks within us all. After all, caring for yourself and your own family is innate. Caring about people you already know comes naturally. What’s really hard is sitting in London and caring about a protester in Hong Kong. Or being a straight Christian man in Alabama and caring about a lesbian couple in Oregon. Yet, that is the hard work that stands between us and the global society we all aspire to create. Media can spread that empathy through powerful storytelling, which can now travel farther and faster than ever before.

CF: How do you respond to critics’ assertion that Upworthy promotes “slacktivism”? What do you hope to happen after an audience member views a piece on Upworthy?

PK: I’ve always found the “slacktivism” charge pretty misplaced, not just in our case but generally. I think that objection is based on a concept of a world that just doesn’t exist, where there are millions of people who were just about to take to the streets or start a nonprofit or run for office themselves, and then right at that moment, they saw a petition to sign or a video to share and so they did that instead.

That’s not, in my experience, how humans work. In reality, giving people a simple first step to take towards meaningful action allows them to go from 0 to 1—from doing nothing at all on a pressing issue to doing something. And once people have done anything at all related to a cause, they’re much more likely to keep going and do a whole lot more.

This is the second in a series of blog posts featuring speakers from MCON 2015. Check back to learn about more innovators and leaders from the private, nonprofit and public sectors. Also, be sure to tune in to the live stream of MCON on June 24th and 25th at www.mcon.events.

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.

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.

A Fearless Approach to Ocean Conservation

Posted on May 19, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

Earlier this month, I found myself in a sea of sleepy-eyed millennials in a Georgetown University auditorium waiting for the first annual Sustainable Oceans Summit to begin.

The Sustainable Oceans Alliance (SOA), founded by Georgetown student and Case Foundation intern Daniela Fernandez, hosted the summit. SOA is one of the first student-led initiatives started in direct response to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s call to action at the State Department’s 2014 Our Ocean Conference. In his speech, Kerry laid out the crucial steps each of us must take to ensure the health and sustainability of our oceans.

The opening announcement quickly set the tone for the event – we were going to learn exactly how we, as individuals, could change the tide. After seven hours of remarkable speeches and panel discussions from world leaders in ocean conservation, environmental policy and earth and biological sciences, the 400 in-person and hundreds more webcast attendees were indeed invested in keeping our planet blue.

Speakers like the legendary Sylvia Earle from Mission Blue and Maria Damanaki of The Nature Conservancy eloquently illustrated the interplay between the health of our oceans and the health of humankind. “We must protect our oceans as if our life depends on it – because it does,” said Earle. “Eighty five percent of corals are already lost; eighty five percent of fish are endangered, threatened or already gone,” stated Damanaki. After a long pause to let those statistics sink in she went on, “But there is hope in this hopeless situation. Human activity is ocean’s biggest threat and biggest hope. We have the power to change the fate our planet’s lifeline.”

An important focus of the summit, and a reflection of Fernandez’s interest in identifying multi-sector solutions, was the role of three vital industries: science and technology; corporations; and local and national governments. The summit proposed that by exploring the interconnectedness of ocean health and human behavior and wellbeing, these three sectors could realize a range of opportunities for innovative collaboration. The summit provided a new platform for champions of ocean conservation to highlight these opportunities: better business practices, effective legislation and cutting edge technology. The speakers emphasized how multi-sector approaches catalyze solutions to issues such as the global fisheries crisis.

The summit attendees were asked to do more than listen, and 7,500 signatures later the audience and social media activists had successfully made their voices heard. Together, we petitioned the United Nations to include ocean sustainability as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). SDGs are a comprehensive collection of actionable, social development goals designed to build upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). SDGs should holistically address social inequalities, issues of poverty and environmental concerns, and it is essential that responsible ocean management does not get left out.

Palauan Ambassador, Stuart Beck, will deliver this very petition directly to the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon prior to the September 2015 vote to confirm the SDGs. We made our mark; but if the speakers made anything clear, it was that our mission doesn’t stop here.

As the summit came to a close, I found myself in a new environment – in a sea of wide-eyed millennials in a Georgetown University auditorium. We knew that it was our responsibility to take action now. Our naturally innovative and motivated spirit must be directed toward ocean sustainability to ensure a healthy and stable environment, economy and global community for future generations to come.

Click here to watch the full Summit.

Five Key Ways Social Good Organizations can Engage with Millennials on Facebook

Posted on February 3, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by Meg Rulli on behalf of the Case Foundation:

One of the many benefits to being a social enterprise is that the powerful work you’re doing is incredibly interesting to others – and others want to get involved.

This is especially the case when it comes to your organization connecting with the Millennial community. According to Deloitte’s third annual Millennial Survey conducted in 2014, 63 percent of Millennials donate to charities, 43 percent actively volunteer or are a member of a community organization and 52 percent have signed petitions.

And do you know where those Millenials spend a ton of time? The answer is online—engaging with others and with content on various social networking platforms such as Facebook.

How can you best connect with this passionate community when it comes to your strategy for Facebook marketing?

I’ve highlighted five simple tips you can use to ensure your organization’s reach within the Millennial community is maximized on Facebook. For even more Facebook marketing tips and case studies for social enterprises, you can download the free Facebook chapter from my book, Get Social – The Ultimate Online Marketing Guide For Social Good.

Five Key Ways for Social Good Organizations to Engage with Millennials on Facebook

1. Use photo heavy content for visual storytelling – Visual content is the most popular content to share on Facebook, so use this social network as a place to share your story and stir emotions in the millennial community. Let your work shine on your Facebook page through photos with inspiring quotes, photos of your local events, photos of employees at the office, and photos of your volunteers collaborating with your organization. For even more reach on your Facebook posts, be sure to tag people in pictures, which will bring visibility to your organization through these individuals’ personal networks.

2. Share emotionally moving statistics and information – Millenials want to be apart of initiatives that create change and improve the world. Entice them to rally behind your organization with powerful statistics and information related to your organization. To go along with this, share news on Facebook about celebrities and influential leaders rallying behind similar causes to your own.

3. Connect your Instagram and Vine accounts to your Facebook page and cross promote – While Facebook is still a huge social media platform for Millennials, social networks such as Instagram and Vine are big for younger generations. Be sure to have a social media presence on these platforms (if your audience is located there) and connect your content on Instagram and Vine on your Facebook page. This is an easy way to share even more visual content on your page and will help you bring your Facebook fans over to these other social networks.

4. Share your events and community outreach initiatives on your page (as well as local events related to your cause) – When it comes to helping social organizations, Millennials want to be in the trenches. They are excited to get out and engage with their favorite organizations and causes. Take advantage of their social butterfly tendencies and leverage your Facebook page to share fun events hosted by your organization and related community outreach initiatives in your local area.

5. Gamify your Facebook page – Millennials are competitive and are always looking for fun ways to rally with their friends around their passions. Harness this energy by creating contests to advertise on your Facebook page (i.e., contests for fundraising efforts), poll your audience in your status updates, host giveaways on your page… Get creative and make sure you Facebook page ENGAGES your audience.

Your turn: What tips do you have for connecting with your millennial audience on Facebook? We’re always looking for suggestions from our community, so please share with us on Twitter!

For more pro tips and case studies on how to connect with Millennials on Facebook, be sure to download the free Facebook chapter from Get Social – The Ultimate Online Marketing Guide For Social Good.

Meg is the Co-Founder of ModMark Group – a marketing and PR agency working with social good companies to grow their communities and expand their global impact. “Carpe diem” is her favorite cliche and motto. Meg is a high-energy girl living in Portland, OR, that loves traveling, being active, spending time outdoors and eating (A LOT)!

The Other Super Bowl Winner… Social Good Commercials

Posted on February 2, 2015October 31, 2018 by Case Foundation

The Super Bowl is known for many things: viewing parties, snack-foods, good football and over-the-top commercials. This year mixed in among the slapstick, automobile-themed and big-budget celebrity ads, an estimated 184 million viewers watched advertisements infused with messages of social good that ushered in a significant change in tone that I hope is here to stay. Many of the commercials led with feel good themes and positive messages that called attention to important social issues.

Reflecting on the last few years of Super Bowl commercials, it appears that we are in the midst of a quickly growing movement driven by consumers against commercials that in general pander to male stereotypes, objectify women and broadcast negative messages. What once used to be a “can’t lose formula” for Super Bowl advertisements and marketing in general is rapidly losing favor among viewers—no matter how humorous or cleverly produced the end product may be.

So what might account for this shift? And what does this mean for consumers?

1.) It’s Good Marketing. Not to overstate the obvious here, but when you’re up against so many other messages, especially those that tend to employ humor and celebrities, a more thought provoking message can help one stand out in the crowd and help viewers forge a stronger memory of your brand. What better message to leave with viewers than that of “we stand for something important that matters to you?”

At $4 to $4.5 million per spot, I assume that advertisers would want the most bang for their buck. “According to the National Retail Federation, “while more than three-quarters (77.1%) of viewers say they look at Super Bowl commercials as entertainment, others feel that the commercials make them more aware of the advertiser’s brand (20.1%).” Moreover, “nearly one-third (41.3 percent) of those planning to watch say that the most important parts for them are the commercials and hanging out with friends and family.”

Check out Coca-Cola’s “#MakeItHappy” ad that addresses cyber-bullying:

Coca-Cola and other brands (e.g., McDonald’s) have promoted themes such as “happiness” and “ togetherness” for many years, so for viewers this feels like an authentic, natural and smart extension of the brand. By addressing topical and current issues such as cyber-bulling in this format, Coca-Cola has opened the door for deeper engagement with consumers.

2.) The Numbers Don’t Lie. Rule number one when producing any piece of marketing content—know your audience. The stereotype has been that when marketing during the biggest football game of the year one should target men. However, last year, Nielsen reported that “46 percent of the Super Bowl viewing audience is female, and more women watch the game than the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys combined.” Many of the commercials this year featured powerful female role models and messages that were clearly designed to resonate with female audiences.

Check out Toyota’s “How Great I Am” ad featuring actress, athlete and business woman Amy Purdy:

Toyota and brands (e.g., Microsoft) are smart to invest in their female audiences at this level. Women control “the bulk of the purchasing decisions for consumer goods in the U.S., they’re also likely to influence or manage many other big ticket purchases—homes, autos, appliances, furniture, etc.—not to mention a large portion of the apparel, groceries and everyday purchases” according to Nielsen.

3.) The Millennials are Forging the Way. It’s no secret that the next generation of consumers is the Holy Grail for companies and advertisers. At 80 million strong and in control of more than $200 billion in annual buying power (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation), Millennials are currently setting the tone for engagement with companies and their products.

Through our work on the Millennial Impact Project over the last five years during which we’ve surveyed thousands of Millennials in partnership with Achieve, we’ve noticed a number of trends that are quickly becoming integrated into branding, messaging, employment strategies, and now, Super Bowl commercials.

Millennials engage with causes to help other people, not institutions.
Millennials support issues rather than organizations.
Millennials are influenced by the decisions and behaviors of their peers.

Watch for these themes and preferences of Millennials become increasingly prevalent in future marketing efforts as companies (and other organizations) aim to forge new ties to this generation of consumers. Check out Always’ “#LikeAGirl” ad:

No matter which team you were rooting for, consumers ended up winning because of the shift towards social good in this year’s commercials. This change didn’t happen overnight and there is still more progress to be made, but it’s a step in the right direction. As consumers continue to respond positively toward corporate efforts to be a force for good, we will see similar messaging integrated into all other aspects of a corporation—not just advertising and that’s when we all win.

One of the most talked about ads this year was produced by NoMore.org to raise awareness about domestic violence. DoSomething.org produced a timely piece addressing the commercial’s impact that is worth a read.

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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