Building "My Space" in a Global Community

Our upcoming program, the My Colorado Project, is an online giving site that empowers the most exciting characteristic of the next generation of donors - their interest in leveraging technology to connect, network, communicate and collaborate.We are moving Community Shares’ incremental giving model outside of the workplace and into the online, networked lives of young people.

Instead of building a one-size-fits-all young donor program, which ends up not fitting anyone, we are giving young people the tools to create their own giving program and following them where they take us.

Over the past six months we have been encouraging Community Shares supporters to redefine the word “philanthropist” to include all people who give. We are also recognizing how young donors are changing the face of philanthropy. Young donors are more diverse, more conscious of philanthropy and its role in commerce and society, and are talking to each other more than ever before via email, the internet, text messaging and other social media.

You’ve probably noticed a lot of organizations are using the word “my” lately to appeal to the post-Boomer generations. My Space, My Hub, My Ebay, My AOL, My Yahoo, and now, My Colorado. I believe the desire for Generation X to personalize and individualize our lives is no coincidence. The Baby Boomers were always “talking ‘bout my generation”. They knew they were opening doors, opening minds, and challenging boundaries. Forty years later, there are so few boundaries left. Is it any wonder that everything popping up today is about establishing “My Space”?

Rather than all of these “my”, “my”, “my”s being selfish or self-centered, maybe young people are just trying to regain a little control over the information they receive, who they let into their lives, and attempting define themselves when every one of our biographies is one Google search away from anyone in the world. Doesn’t it make sense that this generation is seeking to build a virtual picket fence, to try to re-establish some limits and boundaries to create a manageable space in this great big world?

Generational differences are a very real issue facing the philanthropic community and understanding why young people need to create a unique, defined identity and establish a manageable workspace is essential if we want to engage the next generation of donors and nonprofit leaders. My Colorado Project is not just about Generation X’s need for self-determination, it is also an affirmation that each of us can still make an impact.

-Alyssa