By Stephen Alexander, Exponent Philanthropy

“We need to hear from them, in their own voices. We need to know who these next gen major philanthropists are, and who they are becoming.” –#NextGenDonors

As a Millennial, I spend a lot of time with, well, Millennials. It makes sense—this is my peer group. Millennials in the philanthropic and nonprofit spaces are generally upbeat, thoughtful, engaged, bright, and eager to act despite seemingly gargantuan economic, political, and cultural hurdles before us.

Recently, I started engaging with nonprofit networks and organizations run by Millennials—powerful forces being driven by motivated, charismatic individuals. Groups include Exponent Philanthropy’s very own network of Next Gen Fellows; DC chapters of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and Net Impact; and local giving circles NextGenNow and Capital Cause.

I’ve also been paying particular attention to the uptick in my generation’s media attention, including a blog post by Exponent Philanthropy’s own Andy Carroll. As I sift through my collection of media, here are a few poignant statements that resonate with me:

• “Once inspired, Millennials are happy to give everything they’ve got—their creativity, time, networking abilities, social media savvy, and at times even their money. They take ownership and become emotionally invested very quickly.” –Shove Over and Give Gen Y the Keys!

• “This generation is more clearly driven by impact and effectiveness in their philanthropy than generations before them. They also want to be more hands-on in their engagement with an issue or an organization…They look at financial resources as only one tool in the toolbox, and seek to bring many other resources at their disposal to create change in the world.” –NextGen Family Philanthropy: An Interview with Katherine Lorenz

• “…members of the Gen X and Millennial generations are poised to inherit significant wealth and the responsibility of stewarding tens of trillions in philanthropic dollars, in addition to the new personal wealth being amassed by some in these generations. Because of this imminent reality, and because of the magnitude of global challenges the next generations will face, we need to take these next gen donors from high-capacity families seriously….” –#NextGenDonors

So what’s to come? This year I intend to share with you various perspectives from my generation, starting with Exponent Philanthropy’s very own Next Gen Fellows.

I hope you’ll follow along!

Related resources

• Exponent Philanthropy’s Next Gen Fellows Program—apply today for the 2014 class starting June 23!
• Millennial Searchers (New York Times)
• Millennials in Adulthood (Pew Research Center)
• The “Greater” Wealth Transfer (Accenture)
• How Millennials Are Changing the Definition of “Philanthropy” (Case Foundation)
• Millennials Want Companies That Work On Innovative Ways To Fix The World (Fast Company)

Program Manager Stephen Alexander designs sessions for our educational programs and coordinates content production with the goal of delivering the best service possible to the Exponent Philanthropy community. Before coming to Exponent Philanthropy, Stephen worked with Thomson Reuters, Jones Lang LaSalle, and two small nonprofits in Washington, DC. Stephen serves on the leadership team of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network’s DC chapter and is a member of the Next Gen Now giving circle in Arlington, VA. Follow Stephen on Twitter @salxndr and Exponent Philanthropy @exponentphil.