Episode Overview

Podcast: Fundraising Masterminds Podcast
Hosts: Jim Dempsey & Jason Galicinski
Episode: #117 – "Swipe Culture: Everything You Need to Know About Gen Z Fundraising"
Date: March 4, 2026

This episode dives deep into Generation Z – the digital natives born between 1997 and 2009 – to uncover their unique attitudes, motivations, and behaviors around fundraising and philanthropy. Jim and Jason explore how Gen Z's "swipe culture," social media habits, desire for authenticity, and distrust of institutions are reshaping the fundraising landscape for nonprofits. The hosts break down what Gen Z wants, how they give, and actionable strategies nonprofit leaders must adopt to engage and collaborate with this rising generation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Is Generation Z? (03:40–06:00)

• Digital Natives: Born between 1997–2009, Gen Z is the first generation to grow up fully immersed in technology – smartphones, social media, and streaming are baseline.
• Short Attention Spans: "They have a very short attention span…they want the deepness without the work." – Jason (05:53)
  • Deep conversations are possible if you’re aligned with their interests, but constant distractions (notifications, apps) compete for their focus.
• Impact of COVID-19: Gen Z faced formative disruptions – missing graduations, experiencing lockdown during critical years.
• Distrust of Institutions: Grew up coping with broken families, social upheaval, and are less likely to trust mainstream media, academia, or government.
• Influencer Culture: Prefer to follow personalities and content creators over institutional brands or leaders.

2. Gen Z’s Values & Worldview (06:01–10:58)

• Personality Over Legacy: "They latch on to a Kardashian…or even a Mr. Beast." – Jim (07:44)
• Anti-Institutional: Preference for direct authenticity rather than authority figures or large organizations.
• Entrepreneurial Drive: Want to be creators rather than employees; see nontraditional paths (crypto, content creation) as viable.
• Aspiration for Wealth: "They all want to be rich…they've seen a lot of things because of social media…" – Jason (13:18)
• Generosity: Those who find financial success are often generous but want transparency about impact.

3. How Gen Z Gives and Gets Involved (10:58–14:50)

• Experiential and Relational Giving:
  "They want to see how their money is being used…more likely to get on a plane and go check out the ministry." – Jason (10:58)
• Desire for Authentic Experiences: Gen Z participation often includes hands-on volunteering, mission trips, and micro-engagements.
• Microdonations & Crowdfunding:
  "They favor things like micro donations and crowdfunding…so they can accomplish something big, knowing that they only have a small amount." – Jim (16:02)
• Peer-to-Peer Activations: Social media-enabled group efforts and support for causes, emphasizing community and impact over single large gifts.

4. Technology in Gen Z Giving (14:46–21:29)

• Crypto Giving:
  "We're going to have to give them the opportunity to give via crypto…If you don't, you're going to be left behind." – Jim (17:36)
  • Many Gen Zers invest in crypto and want to use it for effective, low-fee giving.
  • Accepting crypto is likened to the early days of credit cards – those who don’t adapt risk falling behind.
• AI & Innovation: Gen Z are using AI to solve real business and nonprofit challenges, often without traditional technical backgrounds.
  • "AI is putting the coding industry to bed…They don’t really know how to code, but they can get what they need." – Jason (21:56)

5. What Gen Z Needs from Nonprofits (22:21–26:09)

• Three Core Needs:
  1. Authenticity – "They definitely smell a fake from a mile away." – Jason (22:34)
     • Prefer behind-the-scenes, unpolished, and emotionally honest content over scripted perfection.
  2. Relationships – "They want face to face connection and want to feel you actually care about them." – Jason (24:35)
     • Will respond to genuine engagement and personal investment; one-on-one interactions, personal calls, and real-life meetings matter.
  3. Participation in Vision – "They value participation, they value vision, they value the future…" – Jason (25:12)
     • Want to help do the work, not just fund it; motivated by real-world impact, hope, and being part of a "movement."

Practical Strategies: How Nonprofits Should Engage Gen Z

a) Meet Gen Z Where They Are (27:49–29:04)

• Be active on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
• Present ministry with authenticity and brevity—long videos are out; punchy, direct, and visually engaging stories are in.

b) Emphasize Small Gifts & Fast Impact (29:05–32:45)

• Make it easy for small-dollar donations to be meaningful.
• "If they don’t see an impact quickly, we’re going to lose them and we’re going to lose their dollars." – Jim (29:04)
• Use peer-to-peer and crowdfunding models to let Gen Z form teams, social groups, and challenges around giving.

c) Offer Experiences and Participation (32:45–33:28)

• Offer volunteer opportunities, internships, and short-term missions.
• Let Gen Z see and experience the impact of their contributions, rather than remaining behind the scenes.

d) Personal Connection & Care (33:28–34:06)

• Engage authentically in person: "Take them out for coffee…show up in their life and be a part of their life…" – Jim (33:28)
• Make communications feel direct, unfiltered, and personal.

e) Invite to Vision Events (34:06–35:18)

• Invite Gen Z to participate in "Vision Dinners"—they’re captivated by venues, programming, and the relational nature of these events.
• Be prepared for attention to shift quickly—follow-up is essential but challenging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Institutional Distrust:
  "If you’re a big institution…you might have a hard time reaching Gen Z in the traditional sense that you used to." – Jason (08:57)
• On Crypto:
  "Crew started accepting crypto donations about five years ago, and it's really helped us. If you don't, you're going to be left behind." – Jim (17:36)
• On Authenticity:
  "They would rather see the behind the scenes of something to see if it was real than…a polished, perfect version." – Jason (22:46)
• On Deep Connection:
  "They seem to really want to go deep, but then their definition of deep is like, you know, half an inch." – Jason (05:31)
• On Microphilanthropy:
  "Pooling together resources to accomplish something big. That generation loves that kind of thing." – Jim (16:35)
• On the Challenge of Consistency:
  "They're going to be really inspired by the vision…then the next day…they're going to be off somewhere else." – Jason (35:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Summary | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:40 | Introduction to Gen Z – digital natives, brief demographic data | | 05:05 | Deep vs. distracted: attention and connection challenges | | 07:42 | Influence of content creators and distrust of institutions | | 10:58 | Relational, experiential giving – Gen Z philanthropy style | | 14:50 | Micro donations, crowdfunding, and the shift towards peer-to-peer giving | | 16:46 | Crypto investing and giving, the importance of nonprofits accepting crypto | | 21:29 | Gen Z’s creativity and use of AI in business and philanthropy | | 22:34 | Three core needs from nonprofits: authenticity, relationships, and participation in vision | | 27:49 | Where to engage Gen Z – platforms, content strategies | | 29:05 | Why small gifts matter and how to frame impact | | 32:45 | The importance of offering real experiences (volunteering, missions, hands-on engagement) | | 34:06 | Vision Dinners and engaging Gen Z in vision events | | 35:18 | The challenge of sustaining Gen Z engagement after events |

Final Thoughts

• Long-Term Perspective: Jim cautions that Gen Z won’t equal Baby Boomer giving for 15–20 years, but nonprofits can’t afford to ignore them:
  "This is a generation that's gonna move pretty quickly…and my gut tells me this Generation Z is going to impact our culture a lot more than we ever expected." – Jim (41:35)
• The Opportunity: Nonprofits must adapt strategies now to build authentic, participatory relationships with Gen Z, harnessing their creativity, generosity, and desire for impact.

Takeaways for Nonprofit Leaders

• Authenticity and transparency aren't just "nice to haves"—they're non-negotiable for Gen Z.
• Don’t ignore new technology; crypto and direct digital engagement are not passing fads.
• Shift focus from just asking for money to offering real-world participation and relational connection.
• Get creative: micro-donations, peer-to-peer, and new platforms = big opportunities.
• Engage Gen Z now—even if the financial payoff isn’t immediate, the relationship-building and trust will pay long-term dividends.