Philanthropy is for everyone: Three tips for young adults
Written by Robin Elmerick, CICF Senior Director of Effective Philanthropy
“Philanthropy” may sound like something reserved for wealthy, “mature” adults, but that’s not at all the case. At the CICF Collaborative we work with individuals of every generation, from young adults to retirees and everyone in between.
Young adults in particular are getting involved in the community in ways that look a little different from prior generations. Research shows that Generation Z and Millennials tend to be more focused on issues than specific charities. What’s more, a 2024 study indicates that for younger generations, volunteering and donating are strongly tied to civic participation.
If you’re a parent or grandparent of young adults, or if you’re a young adult yourself, you’ll be glad to know that the CICF Collaborative can help. Here are three suggestions.
Make it a family affair.
The CICF Collaborative works with families to build charitable giving plans that involve all generations to achieve overall philanthropic priorities. This can include facilitating family discussions around philanthropy, multi-generational exercises done to uncover each family members unique values and interests, and more. We can also coordinate with families’ advisors to achieve objectives. For example, multi-generational philanthropy can include donor-advised funds, legacy plans that include IRA beneficiary designations to establish an endowment, and strategic use of Qualified Charitable Distributions for family members who are 70 ½ or older.
Make a point to start early.
We believe that philanthropy isn’t just for grown-ups—kids and young adults can be powerful changemakers, too. For the young children and grandchildren in your life, we have tools, activities and partnerships designed to help get them engaged in giving back. Engaging the young adults in your successor generation is even more critical. Your philanthropic succession plan may include the next generation as future philanthropic decision makers. With that in mind, we firmly believe that getting your successors engaged and informed early in your lifetime is a key – and we’re equipped to make that a customized and meaningful experience for the full family. The CICF Collaborative is happy to serve as a partner to engage future generations in your philanthropic legacy.
The CICF Collaborative is honored to serve as our region’s home for charitable giving across generations. We look forward to working with you and your family to support your favorite charities and achieve meaningful outcomes in our community.
About the CICF Collaborative
CICF Collaborative is a partnership of philanthropic organizations working together to strengthen communities across the region. Each entity within the CICF Collaborative (including the cornerstone entities, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Hamilton County Community Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, and Women’s Fund of Central Indiana) brings deep knowledge, strong relationships, and its own individual, focused mission. The CICF Collaborative unities the entities by providing shared services, allowing the entities to operate more efficiently and effectively. By leveraging what we each do best, we’re able to better serve our communities and create more lasting impact, together. Learn more »
About the Author
Robin Elmerick, senior director of effective philanthropy has been with CICF since 2019. A certified Impact Philanthropy Advisor, she works closely with fundholders across all entities of the CICF Collaborative to help them define their philanthropic strategies and maximize their impact. With a background in nonprofit leadership and consulting, she is passionate about bridging the needs of the community with the missions of nonprofits and the passions of our fundholders, aligning all three to create meaningful change in Central Indiana and beyond.