millennials

Trying to dissect and analyze a demographic as large, transient, and hyper-connected as the 80 million voices that make up the Millennial Generation is no small feat. Even so, there’s no shortage of wild assumptions being made about Millennials and their preferences on everything from food to fashion.  Luckily nonprofits can begin to toss their assumptions aside and let Millennials do the talking.  For the third year in a row Achieve and Johnson Grossnickle and Assosciates (JGA) have come together to give Millennials an opportunity to share how they donate, volunteer, engage, and lead through the Millennial Engagement and Donor Survey, open now through the end of January. 

The Case Foundation and Social Citizens are proud to partner once again with our friends at Achieve and JGA because we know what a critical time this is for the nonprofit sector. Last year’s Millennial Donor Survey found that of the more than 3,000 people (ages 20 to 35) who responded, 93 percent gave to nonprofit organizations in 2010, with 10 percent giving $1,000 or more. So, what does this mean for nonprofits? Millennials are giving, they’re giving generously, and if organizations aren’t focused on how to most effectively engage with these new donors and volunteers – they won’t just be falling behind, they’ll have a difficult time catching up.

The information gleaned from this survey is important to all of us. If you’re a Millennial (aged 20-35, for purposes of the study) please take five minutes of your time to fill out this survey and help organizations throughout the country understand how to integrate your talent and expertise more strategically in their work.

We’ll be covering the results of the study here on Social Citizens when it’s released this summer. 

Over the past few months, loyal readers of Social Citizens may have noticed that we took a bit of a “blogging hiatus.”   I hesitated even pointing this out because for some, you may be stumbling upon Social Citizens for the first time.  Today, our blogging hiatus is over because the discussion is as important and as timely as it’s ever been -- and we can’t afford to sit by and watch it happen without us, and without you. 

Each week, we’ll cull the interwebs for the most relevant articles, videos and commentary about Millennials and social change, and then present them right here in a weekly round-up.  It’s not to say we won’t also provide our own fresh content and perspectives throughout the week, because we will -- as will our provocative and savvy Social Citizen Ambassadors.  But you can view this space as a central repository for all of the great stuff that’s filling our newsfeeds, twitter feeds, and facebook streams.  We’ll do the curating for you, just come by and pay us a visit – and drop a comment every now and then to let us know how we’re doing and what we’re missing.

And now for this week’s round-up…

Understanding a Diverse Generation, Huffington Post

Peter Levine nails it by cautioning against trying to fit the 80+ million members of the Millennial Generation under one definitive label.  Explaining the complexities of this in Understanding a Diverse Generation,  Levine points out,“a record number, almost 12 million, are working on college degrees, yet nearly one third drop out before they even attain a high school diploma. They commit homicide at less than half the rate of their parents' generation, yet more than 780,000 of them are in prison. They face an obesity epidemic, yet they are conscious of nutrition and exercise. They are tech-savvy, but they struggle in a high-tech economy. They are idealists, yet cynics; overachievers, yet slackers; coddled, yet managing on their own.”  We agree with our friend Peter, it’s time to drop the stereotypes and the generational generalities, and instead focus on the important differences that can unite the engaged as well as those who may be on the outskirts.

The Next Generation and Service, Nonprofit Times

Turning to the national service debate, AmeriCorps Alums Executive Director Ben Duda shares a poignant piece on the importance of saving service and what an investment  in programs like AmeriCorps mean to the Next Generation.  As Duda shares, “this generation is remarkably interested in volunteering and service. And the market demand is astounding, with more than 500,000 young Americans applying for only 80,000 available positions in AmeriCorps. That’s a clear indicator that we should invest in the growth of AmeriCorps as outlined in the bipartisan Serve America Act of 2008 – not eliminate it.”  We’re with Duda, between long term joblessness, low earnings and an inability to hone skills and develop new ones, the Millennial Generation is staring into the potential of a decade lost.  Sure AmeriCorps isn’t a cure-all, but a small investment can yield high returns both for members and the communities they serve. For more information on how to mobilize around this issue and help ensure that future generations are able to continue their commitment to service, learn more at Save Service.

Be the Founder of Your Career, Echoing Green Blog

Finally, in a “wish I wrote that piece” moment, we turn to Lara Galinsky of Echoing Green, who shares why Millennials should stop focusing on creating their own organizations and instead use their unique talents and apply them to creating new and innovative careers.  Sure, it’s hip and trendy to be a social entrepreneur these days, and Galinsky sees plenty of very successful ones go through the Echoing Green program, but as she shares, “It is my fear that many of our very talented young have begun to conflate leading with starting something new. Which is a problem, as not everyone is—or should be—a social entrepreneur, and a world full of leaders who strive to be social entrepreneurs creates waste, duplication, and much worse.”  Galinsky suggests it would make more sense to take the altruistic and entrepreneurial energy that Millennials possess and find places within organizations where they can channel those new approaches to problem solving.  For more on this, check out Echoing Green’s Work on Purpose program.

And, that's where we've rounded out this week, but stay tuned and let us know your favorite picks and "wish I wrote this" moments.  We're excited to reengage and look forward to making 2012 the year of the Social Citizen.

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have come and gone since the day my generation was thrust into a new world – a world where politics at the local, national, and international level suddenly took on new meaning. A world that forced us to grow up a little quicker. A world that helped us develop a civic awareness that many say could only be the result of a national tragedy on a scale like September 11.

Yesterday we marked the 10-year anniversary of that fateful day, and today is 9/12/2011. It is the start of a new decade for us as Millennials in a post 9/11 era. For those on the older end of the Millennial spectrum like myself, we have now spent the past decade in the workforce,and many of us have settled down and are starting families of our own. We are armed with new technology and an awareness and appreciation for global issues, and we have been building organizations and reinventing ourselves and our institutions with an entrepreneurial flair. The events of 9/11 suddenly gave us a larger purpose – a reality check of sorts that reminded us we weren’t invincible and that we had an obligation to give back to our neighborhoods, our community, and our country. 

Today as we enter the next decade of life after 9/11, we take with us vivid reminders not only of that day, but of the way in which it changed our individual narratives. We wonder what will come in the next 10 years. We lift up examples of new social innovations and technologies that have brought us closer together as neighbors, friends, and family, from Friendster to Facebook. We lift up examples of organizations that have grown and come into their own to help us find a voice and purpose.  

If you look at the nonprofit landscape over the past decade, there has been a surge of young idealistic change-makers who have started their own organizations to address real problems, be it in their local or global community. They have little concern about whether their venture is a .com or .org – and more concern about whether or not their work is having an impact. While the entrepreneurial spirit that is so engrained in my generation is inspiring, there’s also a reality. The reality is that many of these new organizations are competing for limited dollars and our limited attention spans. There are simply not enough resources to support and fully fund all of the great ideas that are being generated – or the capacity  to ensure they are all able to thrive.

Even so, there are also many success stories. The events of September 11 prompted people like Scott Heiferman, founder of Meetup, who said “the only time I thought about my neighbors [pre 9/11] was when I hoped they wouldn't bother me,”  to suddenly launch a national platform that would bring together millions through meetups across the country and eventually around the world. Or David Smith, founder of Mobilize.org, whocreated an organization that would exist today as a way to empower and invest in Millennials to create and implement solutions to social problems. In the years since 9/11, Mobilize has merged with a half dozen smaller nonprofits with similar missions to work collaboratively to leverage the unique skills of Millennials and create solutions to social challenges.

In this next decade, my hope is that we build upon this momentum and spirit of service andfind greater opportunities to invite these emerging social entrepreneurs into our existing institutions – some of which are in desperate need of an infusion of new life and ideas. And, that we create space for greater cross-generational learning, dialogue, and debate so our institutions are strengthened rather than struggling for new ideas and opportunities.

The world my daughter will inherit is one my generation will help shape. I have full confidence that the idealism and energy that has emanated in the years since 9/11 will help create a solid foundation for continued innovation.

What new ways of thinking do you believe will come as a result of the Millennial Generation coming of age in the next 10years?  How will this influence continue to reshape our institutions?

With more than half of all nonprofit leaders retiring in the next decade -- what does the future leader of the philanthropic sector look like today? What motivates these rising leaders? What drives their vision for the future of the sector? Is it salary – is it satisfaction? Or maybe it’s time we scrap our focus on "the sector" all together and instead look at the blending of sectors and approaches that drive social change.  

As nonprofits prepare for the inevitable leadership transition, a new report by Changing Our World and Future Leaders in Philanthropy provides some compelling perspectives for nonprofits -- from Millennials themselves -- on how to attract and retain future leaders.  It’s not the first time we’ve explored these issues here on Social Citizens, but with the release of the new report, we thought it was worth breaking down these issues a little more.  The report focuses on the following four areas:

•    The disappearance or blending of traditional sectors;
•    A reflection on the importance of salary;
•    Overall job satisfaction; and
•    The Impacts of volunteering.

Let’s take a look first at the disappearance of or blending of traditional sectors.  The study shows that while nonprofits have traditionally “bucketed” their work into the familiar categories of education, health, environment, etc. when Millennials were asked in which “bucket” their work fit into – after “education” the next highest selection was “other” with a wide range of themes coming to light from technology, to social justice, advocacy and human rights to name just a few.  

What’s more, we know that beyond identifying with these issue areas – Millennials aren’t just looking at entering traditional nonprofit institutions to influence social change. They can “do good” by joining businesses with a double or triple bottom line, or by entering a start-up with a pro-social mission.  And until nonprofits are able to attract the entrepreneurial, technologically savvy Millennial – they may  struggle to contend with their pro-social competitors across other sectors.

We tend to think that more than money, prestige, titles or promotions – Millennials have an almost innate desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves.  And the survey further reinforced this notion by exploring why young people choose to do the work they do.  An overwhelming majority cited the “idea of working for a socially mission driven organizations as the primary driver for their choice” – and this answer crossed demographics, young and old, experienced and inexperienced, etc. Of all the reasons to work in the nonprofit sector – salary ranked dead last. 

However, that’s only part of the story. The study showed that “Salary may not be why young professionals enter the sector, but it is a big part of what they think about on the inside, irrespective of gender, length of time in the sector or area of work.”  But perhaps what was most fascinating was that 43% of respondents felt that a nonprofit salary level that is lower than those in the for-profit sector is actually acceptable, compared to 46.4% who felt it was never acceptable. This means that as many people are willing to accept lower salaries in nonprofit work as those who are not, whether because those lower levels reflect “working for a greater cause” or because the nonprofits themselves are “strapped financially for resources.” 

Nonprofits who can’t seem to find ways to be competitive when it comes to salary – are going to have to think again.  According to the study, a much higher percentage of young people consider for-profit/nonprofit salary parity as a motivating factor in choosing nonprofit employment than do older workers.

Whether they want to believe it or not, and whether they’re tired of hearing it or not, today's nonprofit leaders need to recognize that Millennials think about and approach their work differently  just as each generation before them has added their own “flavor” to the workplace. Millennials are mixing things up, and regardless of how driven they are by working for organizations with a social mission - they are just as passionate about being compensated for this work and they expect high performance from the organizations of which they are a part.

For more insights or to download a copy of The Young and the Relentless: An Original Survey of the Next Generation of Nonprofit and Philanthropy Leaders please click here for the whitepaper, or click here to view the webinar.

With more than 45 million voters between the ages of 18-29, the "youth vote" will again receive significant attention in the upcoming election cycle. But, are these voters being excluded from the democratic process? According to a new study from Rock the Vote, they just might be. Between outdated voter registration practices and other obstacles like difficulties casting ballots in many states, these barriers underscore the country's need to better prepare the next generation as a whole for active citizenship.

The study titled “Rock the Vote Voting System Scorecard,” was released earlier in June and measured state laws and policies in three key areas: voter registration, casting a ballot and young voter preparation. Survey organizers scored states on a 21-point scale and then ranked them based on their overall voting experience—serving as the first national benchmark that measures states’ laws and policies in these areas. The survey findings revealed that, “the average national score is only 41% (8.6 points out of 21 total) with Washington state ranking highest at 68% and South Carolina and Virginia at 18% performing at the bottom of our list. Only 15 states scored above 50%.”

Survey Findings

The Voting System Scorecard evaluated states in these three policy areas and identified the most significant obstacles:

• Voter Registration: According to the Scorecard, the “single greatest barrier to participation for young people” is voter registration. In fact, citizens ages 18 to 24 have the lowest rates of registration amongst all segments of the population. In the United States, voter registration remains a relatively cumbersome paper-based process that is often an unfamiliar process for first-time registrants.
• Casting a Ballot: There are several obstacles that impede Millennial voters from actually voting in elections once they have registered, including: lawmakers who believe that young voters should face more restrictions; voter identification inconsistencies; strict absentee voting laws; and military and overseas voting inefficiencies.
• Young Voter Preparation: The third category of the Voting System Scorecard is young voter preparation. The survey found that opportunities to learn about politics and government in schools are increasingly rare, and programs to register newly eligible high school students to vote are not widespread. Those who do not become engaged may find themselves “increasingly frustrated and disengaged from this country’s democratic system.”

Survey Recommendations

Overall, the survey revealed that “young Americans are frustrated with a voter registration system that is inefficient, inconvenient and wasteful.” This was reflected in the results where high-scoring states that had the best overall voting experience, for the most part, offered either Same Day Registration or online registration. Conversely, the organizers found that many of the states that did not score well lacked many of these more popular voting tools to facilitate engagement opportunities and a positive voter experience.

Addressing these tools/obstacles may hold the key to changing how the next generation takes to the polls. As the Millennial generation voters continue to establish their power at the polls, Rock the Vote continues to register and educate voters. In 2011, Rock the Vote is leading the charge toward making our electoral process more accessible to young people through our high school civics program, by rallying young people to stop unfair registration laws and push more modern approaches, and educating prospective 2012 candidates on how to incorporate young people in their campaigns.

What else can states, organizations and Millennials themselves do to empower themselves when it comes to voting at the polls? Are there other obstacles that you think need to be addressed?

• Check out some more information at these links:
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RockTheVote
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rockthevote
• Read the full report here
• Send the report to your elected officials
   

This post was authored by Fiona Hoehn and Rachel White, interns of the Case Foundation.

When Deloitte released it's Volunteer IMPACT study last month, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The study showed that Millennial workers who frequently volunteer through or with their jobs are overall happier with their own careers, more loyal to their employers and generally maintain a more positive perception of corporate culture than those who do not participate in volunteer programs. All of this is yet one more way that Millennials are shifting the dynamic in the workplace - but are companies keeping up and what might they take away from Deloitte's findings to help them do so?  

Using indicators such as workplace satisfaction, pride and loyalty, Deloitte compared the responses of employed Millennials, ages 21 to 35, who regularly volunteer against those who volunteer less frequently. Based on survey results, volunteerism is a critical factor for successful engagement of the Millennial generation in the work place. With approximately one-third of Millennial employees considering a career/job shift, increasing on-the-job engagement and satisfaction is becoming increasingly important for both employers and employees.

According to the survey, "Millennials who frequently participate in their company’s volunteer activities are:

• Two times more likely to rate their corporate culture as very positive as compared to Millennials who rarely or never volunteer (56 percent versus 28 percent)
• More likely to be very proud to work for their company (55 percent versus 36 percent)
• More likely to feel very loyal toward their company (52 percent versus 33 percent)
• Nearly twice as likely to be very satisfied with the progression of their career (37 percent versus 21 percent)"

- 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey

“The data shows that, on many levels, employees who regularly volunteer are much more connected than those who do not volunteer,” said Joseph Echevarria, chief executive officer, Deloitte LLP. “This is a strong argument for making volunteerism a business priority, because employee engagement and organizational culture are inextricably linked to organizational performance. What’s more, engagement and a sense of ownership are essential to leadership, and we recognize the need to cultivate leadership qualities in all our people, and celebrate responsible leadership.

So what can you as an employer or an employee do to maximize your workplace volunteer situation? Deloitte synthesized the survey findings and provided a few suggestions:

• Take an inventory of your volunteer opportunities. Review your existing volunteer program and ask yourself whether your corporate culture places a value on volunteerism. Not sure? Consider the following questions: Are the activities being offered ones in which employees want to participate? Do they produce a meaningful return for the community and is their purpose well-communicated? How are people encouraged to participate? Do senior leaders get involved? Do employees receive any time during the workday to participate, or must they volunteer after hours? Are there rewards or recognition in return for participation?

• Tie volunteerism efforts to another strategic corporate initiative. The data show that Millennials who frequently volunteer are more engaged than those who do not, so look for opportunities to align volunteer initiatives with other business priorities, such as recruiting, leadership development and training. Invite the community involvement staff and the talent managers to the same strategic planning table so together they can explore how to use volunteerism options to achieve other top business goals.

• Create policies that match business philosophy, when it comes to encouraging volunteerism. Explore pro bono service and skilled volunteerism, contributed by the company. Deloitte created a new volunteerism model in 2008—establishing the procedures that treat pro bono engagements just like paid client engagements. This means the professionals who are selected for and staffed on the engagements complete the projects during the work day. This is just one way we respond to the number one barrier to millennial volunteer participation—lack of time.

We want to hear from you - do you agree with the survey results? Does your workplace offer volunteer programs and opportunities? If so, do you take advantage of them or do issues such as “lack of time” prevent you from engaging?

This reflection originally appeared as a featured discussion on the National Conference on Citizenship Blog and has been republished with their permission.

Last night, like the rest of the world, I sat glued to my television screen watching President Obama announce the death of Public Enemy Number 1—Osama Bin Laden. Immediately preceding and following the speech, I also saw footage of people gathering and cheering in front of the White House, a building six blocks from my apartment. Like many, these images gave me great pause.

Part of me felt the same sense of pride and celebration that they did. And part of me felt a sense of inappropriateness at the way some were choosing to display their feelings. I said to my friends I was with “It’s weird to see someone’s death, however horrible they were, being treated like it’s a pep rally… Something about this reminds me eerily of the videos we saw of people in the Middle East celebrating in the streets after 9/11.”

We all agreed we weren’t sure how we felt about the display, but we recognized we had the opportunity to experience this in a very unique way—different from how much of the country would receive or process the news. Ultimately, we decided it was a moment in history to which we wanted to bear witness. So we made the six block trek to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

As I arrived to the crowds of cheering and singing people waving flags, I sent a tweet. Still not sure of my emotion or the enormity of that moment, I chose for it to contain just 5 words: “At the White House. Unbelievable.” I attached a picture, hit send, and waded with my friends into the crowd.

I was starting my sophomore year in college in Oklahoma in September 2001. Last night, May 1, 2011 as I stood in front of the White House, surrounded by 20 year-olds in their fraternity hoodies, I was struck by the fact they are the age now that I was when 9/11 happened. The events of September 11, 2001 probably represent some of their earliest memories. I knew my generation (the Millennials) is sometimes referred to as the “9/11 Generation,” but last night, this name took on completely new meaning.

What I witnessed there was an overwhelming energy, similar to what I experienced on election night in 2008. By all accounts, it was a celebration. But by and large, it was not a celebration that a man had died. I’m sure some were there to celebrate that—I’d be naïve not to see that, but I don’t think I personally heard one person actually say his name. There was no bashing of any other countries, cultures, or people. There was no burning of religious books. I did not view this as a celebration of death, but of life, service, perseverance, and hope.

What I witnessed last night was a coming together; a celebration of the shared experience of being American. A celebration of the fact we can finally take a piece of the horror we ALL felt 9 years, 7 months, and 20 days ago and put it behind us. Of the lives of the 3,000 victims who senselessly died and their families that were forever changed that fateful September morning. That our brothers, sisters, cousins, classmates, significant others, and friends, have not spent years in war for ambiguous reasons. That the thousands of them that gave their lives had not done so in vain. And a celebration of the countless volunteers, social workers, firefighters, police officers and others that have worked tirelessly to rebuild our communities, and our souls, in the last 10 years.

I was overwhelmed by what I saw last night, but also what I saw when I got home. The picture I put on Twitter just 3 hours earlier had been tweeted 241 times, viewed 3,159 times, and translated into at least 3 languages. I had come together not with a few thousand people at 16th and Penn, I had, however unintentionally, come together with so many around the world. My father is an immigrant, and I’ve always felt compelled, not only by the rights and responsibilities of my U.S. citizenship, but my role as a global citizen as well. This gave me a special moment to think about that. I thought back to a few moments earlier and the Canadian, Australian, and even Algerian flags I saw waving in concert with the American ones at the White House. September 11, while viciously perpetrated on United States soil, affected the world.

My friends and I still have a lot of conflicting emotions about the events that happened yesterday, what we saw last night, and what this means for us as Americans (and global citizens) in the days and years to come. But I do know what I will take away from both September 11, 2001 and May 1, 2011, and what I still know to be true:

“On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.” –President Obama

Kristen Cambell is Director of Programs and New Media at NCoC where she is responsible for researching, developing and implementing programs, including the Annual Conference, NCoC.net, and Civic Health Index reports.

The Today Show on NBC shook up television and online news companies alike on Tuesday when it simultaneously aired a traditional live broadcast and live online show to launch the new Today.com website. Averaging 5.3 million viewers last season, the Today Show is currently the #1 ranked morning television news show in the country and has maintained that title for the last 15 years—so when they decided to change up the formula, let’s just say it was a big deal.

NBC reported that this live online format will be a one-time-only event, but the effort itself reveals a significant investment from the network that I predict will be revisited and replicated by other large networks in the near future. Looking at the numbers, it’s not difficult to see why NBC made this move—59% of Americans get news from a combination of both online and offline sources according to Pew.

The Headlines

Given the social media buzz going around about the online show, I know I was not the only one giving this format change a second thought. Many wondered whether viewer numbers for the Today Show would decline as people left to watch the online show, while others speculated how viewers would respond to the new online format. For us here at Social Citizens, we questioned whether or not this venture into an online news show would translate into more viewers—in particular younger viewers—and could Today.com keep them coming back for more?

Many news organizations are facing similar challenges with attracting and maintaining viewers/visitors/readers. Surveys show that 70% of Americans feel the “amount of news and information available from different sources is overwhelming.” We’ve seen how the print media in particular has had to quickly transform itself over the last few years—could this shed light into the next chapter for online and broadcast media?

"After two years of research and development, we're very excited to unveil TODAY.com during this unique and social event," said Jen Brown, director of TODAY.com. "The site is designed around the news consumption habits and lifestyle of our online audience, so it's fitting to debut with a show tailored specifically for them." In fact, they have even taken the extra step to optimize the site for the iPad, iPhone and desktop browsers.

Video Killed the Radio Star, Part 2?

The combination of online video and the Internet is clearly a powerful one and will inevitably help shape how we consume information moving forward across all generations. The National Journal reported that, “the Internet rivals TV as the primary source for news consumption among 18-to-29-year-olds. [A recent study by Pew] found that 59 percent of Millennials consume most of their news via the Internet, trailing television by 6 percentage points. Gen Xers, ages 30 to 45, are close behind: 53 percent get most of their news from the Internet, compared to 61 percent from television.”

The Today Show is taking these stastics to heart and translating the numbers into programming, which in turn colors their overall approach to presenting the news. "Our audience likes to snack on stories throughout the day, so we're programming the new site to surface the news we know they crave at different times," notes Brown. "The conversation doesn't stop at 11 a.m. when the show ends. It continues 24 hours a day online."

While this format may lend itself well to online viewers as noted by Brown, it also may spell success in reaching Millennial viewers—who, as Tom Rosenstiel, director of Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism comments are "on-demand grazers" in their digital news habits. From a viewer perspective, I honestly don't know which I prefer... there's an element of habit vs. preference that I haven't quite separated out from the other. I question if others will choose to put down the remote control in favor of the mouse and replace one screen for another? Will you?

What do you think about the blend of online shows with broadcast television? How do you think this will or will not impact the way news is presented and shared?

This interview is part of our "Social Citizen Sightings" series, in which we highlight how people are using their creativity, idealism, and digital fluency to support their causes every day. Milena Arciszewski is 26. She enjoys camping, reading, adventure travel, and clean socks… and I should mention is starting a nonprofit called Pando Projects.

Pando Projects is a nonprofit that empowers people—in particular Millennials—to step up as leaders and develop new, local solutions to the problems in their communities. The initiative seeks to support ordinary people in accomplishing extraordinary things by helping them to tackle national and global challenges. By providing tools and support for people with ideas, the group hopes to empower Americans to change the world, one project at a time. The pilot phase launches this month and will support 15 New Yorkers with ideas for grassroots projects.

1)  Why are Millennials any different from other age groups when it comes to volunteering and service?

Arciszewski: I think many Millennials are bored with the traditional service model in the U.S. We don’t want to sign up for a pre-existing volunteer program, initiative, or campaign – we want to start our own projects and find our own innovative solutions to the problems facing our planet. We also want a volunteer platform that incorporates technology and social networking, ensuring that our volunteer initiatives are talked about, celebrated and shared. 

2)  What drove you to start your new initiative, Pando Projects?

Arciszewski: Volunteering became a part of my identity [growing up].  As a relatively shy girl, it was a way for me to connect to the community that I never really felt a part of.

However by the time I was a junior at UVA, I was bored.  I no longer felt like I was making an impact.  I was tired of signing up with pre-existing programs.  I was tired of being told what to do.  I was tired of these small, pre-packaged volunteer commitments, designed to make me feel that I was “changing the world,” when in fact, all I was doing was stapling papers. 

The volunteer programs were static and dull, leaving little room for creativity or problem solving.  Whenever I had a good idea, I was told “we just don’t have the budget for that.”  I felt like I was drowning in my good intentions, and that no volunteer program was truly the platform for me to make an impact on this planet. 

Cynthia Gibson, in a Case Foundation report [titled Citizens at the Center: A New Approach to Civic Engagement] perfectly captures my frustration and impotence: “While there are millions of Americans, especially young people, who are trying to ‘make a difference,’ largely through volunteering, there remains an inchoate yet palpable sense among most people that what they do matters little when it comes to the civic life and health of their communities, states, or the country overall.”

3)  Given your frustration with the service sector as a young individual, what “change” happened that moved you to take action and helped you to affirm your desire to be part of the solution rather than the problem?

Arciszewski: I started my own grassroots volunteer project [as a junior in college], outside of any institutional structure.  I had heard a story about a university in Afghanistan, whose library had burned down and whose students needed textbooks.  Strangely inspired, I organized a book drive that collected and shipped several thousand used books to that school in Afghanistan.  It was one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. 

In starting my own project, I found the volunteer experience that I had been looking for.  It was exciting, fast-paced, relevant, and new.  And the project transformed me from a shy, pajama-wearing introvert to a happy, confident leader.  The project also landed me a coveted internship.  I was beyond myself – not only had I helped people in Afghanistan, but I had also helped myself grow up in a beautiful way.

4)  What have been some of your most difficult challenges in developing this new model of service solutions?

Arciszewski: Grassroots organizing is hard.  I remember how much I struggled with the book drive.  I didn’t know how to raise money, organize events, manage volunteers, keep people updated… it was a logistical nightmare.  What this country needs is a platform to simplify this process, so that whenever someone has a good idea for tackling an issue in their community they can actually do it.  And that’s why I’m starting Pando Projects.  

For those people with new ideas, we provide the project mentorship and online workspace they need to make their ideas happen.  We don’t help people start organizations; we simply help them carry out projects within one year, for up to $5,000.  Like a book drive. Or an after-school art class. Or a community garden. There are thousands of people with amazing ideas… I simply want to unleash their potential to change the world.

5)  Final thoughts?

Arciszewski: In the same Case Foundation report [referenced previously], Cynthia Gibson wrote, “[We need to] create opportunities for ordinary citizens to come together, deliberate, and take action collectively to address public problems or issues that citizens themselves define as important and in ways that citizens themselves decide are appropriate and/or needed.” 

I hope that Pando will play a role in making this happen.  Millennials, check out www.pandoprojects.org. We are just getting started, but we will give you a service opportunity that will rock your world.

Today MTV launched Act.MTV.com. The pro-social website seeks to engage its readers on many different levels by using unexpected approaches that resonate with the younger generation. MTV believes that “every action counts,” and hopes that Act will help motivate its audience to take action around the issues that matter to them. The question on everyone's mind will be whether or not MTV’s audience will be able to move from shows such as Jersey Shore to taking action in defense of animals losing their habitats?

The website will cover many different issues, including: digital health, jobs, social innovation, sexual abuse and education, just to name a few. Visiting the site you will find stories on everything from pop culture’s intersection with the pro-social and “how-to” columns focused on topics such as recycling, voting, volunteering and petitions; to “day in the life” style pieces focused on a young nonprofit leader and the work that they are doing. Being MTV of course, the creators are also developing connections to music, such as creating video playlists for issues.

Act.MTV.com hopes to spark action among youth by fulfilling three key roles:

• Digital Presence:  Promote simple and quick ways for people to get involved with social issues that are relevant to its audience.

• Stories:  Celebrate the stories of young people, celebrities and nonprofits that are making an impact on pressing social issues. As master storytellers, MTV is in a unique position to share personal and provocative stories with its audience like no other.

• Matchmaker:  Connect those who may be disengaged with the organizations, people and tools that they need to help them take action.

With integration of the site across multiple MTV platforms, including: MTV news, mobile, events, consumer products, and the social web, I believe Act.MTV.com’s messages will have a pretty good chance of getting to the right people. According to Act’s creators, they want the site to be, “informative without being preachy, and integrate humor and creativity where possible… when we do critique, we focus on solutions, not the problem.”

Think Again?

This is not MTV’s first foray into the online activism space. MTV launched a website called Think.MTV.com in 1997 that according to Reuters, was “designed to be a resource for social and political issues, aiming to inform as well as let users connect with other like-minded people on issues from the environment to sexual health and discrimination.” Several foundations helped MTV develop this site, including the Case Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ Amelior Foundation. The site is still live, but with the launch of Act.MTV.com it appears that MTV is trying a new approach to engaging its audience—and if all goes well an entire generation.

Lesson Learned

MTV debuted in 1981 and in those formative years was a very different beast than today’s MTV—as are its viewers. In particular, MTV’s hold on, and influence of, the younger audience has appeared to wane at times as audiences changed. MTV Networks chief executive, Judy McGrath was quoted in a recent New York Times piece as saying that MTV “should be the ‘forever young network,’ [but] had clung to Generation X a little too long, some believed, at the expense of the Millennials.”

It is clear that MTV is actively reinventing itself to better reach Millennials. Through MTV’s research about the Millennial generation, MTV spokespeople noted that “teenagers and twentysomethings nowadays were less rebellious than those in the past. They are not rebelling against their parents so much as they are watching TV with their parents.” With research in hand, MTV is keen on reworking itself, including its shows, and from the look of it, Act.MTV.com.

The Right Place, Right Time?

I think MTV is on to something here and that there is great potential for Act to really resonate with younger generations. The site is fresh, engaging and does what it sets out to do... all while keeping things somewhat entertaining, light and maintaining the fundamental essence of MTV.

Have you visited the site? What do you think of Act?  Is Act's belief that "every action counts" valid?  Is there value in promoting small acts of good, or is this just a way to placate Millennials and the younger generation?