It’s 2050, and your organization is thriving thanks to a long-established endowment, a legacy of thoughtful strategy, and decades of disciplined leadership.
Consider another factor behind that success, one that, like an endowment, is an investment tomorrow: the people who choose to care.
Long before they became donors, board members, or nonprofit executives, they were young people learning how to understand others, connect to a cause, and act on that connection. In other words, they were developing empathy.
For organizations considering long-term sustainability, youth engagement is more than a programmatic add-on, it’s a strategic investment in the future; one that may benefit your organization directly and create ripple effects extending far beyond your walls.
Why Empathy Matters to Philanthropy
Nonprofit organizations depend on people who care enough to act—through giving, volunteering, and leading. Empathy is often the starting point, and research reinforces this connection.
- Empathy is a driver for philanthropy. A recent meta-analysis found that while effectiveness influences giving, empathy plays a causal role, and the two can reinforce one another. As researcher Dr. Cassandra Chapman notes, “If you can affect empathy, you can affect giving.” (See research by Matthew Hornsey, Jessica Spence, and Dr. Chapman here.)
- Empathy connects well-being. Practices like compassion and mindfulness are consistently linked to increased happiness, suggesting that cultivating empathy fuels generosity and sustains engagement over time.
- Youth are empathetic. Encouragingly, there is momentum among younger generations. Longitudinal data analysis led by Dr. Sara Konrath at Indiana University Indianapolis found that empathy among youth reached the highest level in decades in 2018 (the most recent year available), alongside declines in narcissism and increased interest in helping others by US college students and adolescents.
For nonprofits, these points present a significant and often underleveraged opportunity.
A Strategic Opportunity: Engaging Youth Today
Empathy may be natural, yet it is also shaped by the environment, exposure, and opportunity. Organizations that intentionally engage youth build awareness and cultivate long-term connections.
For fundraising professionals, nonprofit leaders, and boards, this raises an important question: how can we design engagement strategies that include and grow younger generations?
Consider these ideas:
- Create meaningful entry points. Offer age-appropriate ways for youth to learn about your mission, contribute their perspectives, and see the impact of their involvement.
- Focus on multi-generational opportunities. Families who engage together deepen their connection to your organization while modeling and reinforcing empathy in youth. These shared experiences can build lasting affinity and, over time, philanthropic commitment across generations. This is particularly pertinent considering the great wealth transfer underway, which will impact younger generations’ engagement in giving.
- Expand engagement options and definitions. Nearly 80% of young people report participating in service in some form, yet many don’t define that activity within traditional nonprofit structures. Meeting them where they are, with flexible, relevant, and accessible opportunities —can bridge that gap.
Organizations across the sector are already modeling this work. Through my role at JGA and service on the Advisory Board of Seeds of Caring, I’ve seen firsthand how early engagement can empower children to lead with empathy and action.
From Empathy to Impact
Generosity grows from relationships we nurture over time. When we invest in empathy early, generosity follows.
If we want future donors, volunteers, and leaders to invest in our missions, we must invest in them first—in their awareness and in their capacity to care.
Empathy is more than a soft skill on the margins of philanthropy. It is a foundational driver. The benefits of this effort extend far beyond their value to our own organizations and into the communities we serve and the impact we seek to create.
The organizations that recognize and act on this today will be the ones still thriving in 2050, led by individuals who moved past learning a mission to seeing themselves in it.
If you’re thinking about what this could look like for your organization, we’re always glad to connect. At JGA, we enjoy helping teams explore ways to build deeper relationships and inspire generosity that lasts.
