The Next Decade of Fundraising Still Belongs to Gen X and Baby Boomers

Every nonprofit wants to know the same thing:

Where will tomorrow’s fundraising dollars come from?

While younger generations are passionate, engaged, and increasingly philanthropic, the reality is that fundraising success is still closely tied to where the wealth lives.

The Next Decade of Fundraising Still Belongs to Gen X and Baby Boomers

Every nonprofit also wants to attract the next generation of donors—and they should. But when it comes to major gifts, event fundraising, and transformational giving, it's important to understand where the wealth currently resides.

As the graphic shows, Baby Boomers and Gen X control nearly 80% of America's household wealth. That's not because younger generations care less about giving. It's because wealth is typically built over decades through careers, businesses, home ownership, and long-term investing.

For nonprofits, this presents an important opportunity. While we should absolutely engage Millennials and Gen Z as future supporters, today's largest fundraising opportunities are still most likely to come from donors over 45. These are the individuals with the greatest capacity to make significant gifts.

Baby Boomers will pass trillions of dollars to their children, grandchildren, and charitable causes. Organizations that build strong relationships with today's wealth holders will be positioned to benefit from planned gifts, donor-advised funds, stock gifts, and estate commitments.

Engage every generation. But when it comes to major gifts, follow the wealth.