The Baby Boomers may be the wealthiest generation and therefore the target of your donor strategies for years to come, but if you want volunteers who like to work with others, can multi-task, and can teach you a thing or two about social networking, you should start thinking about ways to talk to Generation Y -- people in their 20s.

Generation Y Has Grown Up Volunteering

This generation has grown up with volunteering --whether it's been through service learning requirements, racking up community service hours for college applications, or simply finding fun things to do with groups of friends.

Last week, I posted some advice from Sam Davidson on my blog. Sam is speaking during tomorrow's webinar "How to Connect with Generation Y" (Wednesday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern). Since then, I've received some great tips from Sarah L. Sladek of Limelight Generations, a "Next Generation" marketing and consulting firm.

20-Something Trust Their Friends, and That's About It

Sarah says that Generation Y rely only on the people who take the time to establish relationships with them and earn their trust. This is also the first generation to trust, almost exclusively, the recommendations of their peers.

What does that mean for your nonprofit marketing? "For the best results, use marketing messages that get to the point, are honest, and personal. Incorporate testimonials or case studies that profile how volunteering has made a difference in your younger volunteers’ lives. Highlight the ways your organization values its volunteers and the opportunities for professional development it provides," says Sarah.

Communicating Online is a Must

She also advises nonprofits to use technology to communicate with Gen Y and make your organization accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "Younger generations are savvy consumers who embrace technology and sophisticated marketing messages that are visually stimulating, innovative, concise, and professionally designed. Anything less will struggle to capture their attention," she says.

Connect Now and Reap Rewards for Years to Come?

Professional fundraisers will tell you to spend your time on the Boomers for a quicker return. But both Sam and Sarah say nonprofits shouldn't overlook the long-term potential of connecting with Generation Y now.

"A nonprofit’s relationship with its young volunteers should never end. It starts with how you communicate to new volunteers, and it should continue long after a volunteer has completed a project.  Maintain a relationship with former volunteers by surveying them, sending them the organizational newsletter, forming a peer group for them, or inviting them to sit on an advisory board," suggests Sarah.

She also notes that this generation is loyal to people, not places, so when it comes to recruiting and retaining Ys to your nonprofit, the strategy of building relationships with them is imperative. "Give Generation Y a place to belong and they will be dedicated ambassadors and volunteers for many years to come,” says Sarah.

Learn how to talk about your organization with 20-somethings during tomorrow's webinar, "How to Connect with Generation Y" featuring Sam Davidson, Wednesday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. $35 covers everyone in your office who can fit around a computer monitor and speaker phone. Get the details here.

You can also read Sam's blog and Sarah's blog for more tips.

You can make your donor newsletter much more interesting to both your prospects and current supporters (and much more fun for you to write) by applying three hot nonprofit marketing trends to it.

Trend #1: “I am Donor, Hear Me Roar!”

Web 2.0, User-Generated Content, Social Networking, Flipping the Funnel, Donor-Advised Funds -- for nonprofit communicators, they all boil down to one concept: donors using philanthropy as a form of self-expression. Who they give to is part of their personal identity. Cultivate and nurture that self-expression to benefit your nonprofit.

Trend #2: Facts We Forget; Stories We Remember

Mainstream advertising is full of storytelling (think of the UPS White Board and the GEICO customers with actors telling their stories). We remember stories much more easily than facts and figures, which means we can share them more easily with friends and family. Tell stories to engage your donors in your work, to reinforce their giving decisions, to inspire them to do more, and to encourage more word-of-mouth marketing on your behalf.

Trend #3: Feeding the Snack-Size Culture

Americans want everything to be convenient, fast, affordable, and easy to digest, from food to news to charitable giving. We like options (but not too many) and instant gratification. You have to grab your readers’ attention immediately and get to the point fast. Make everything easy -- from skimming your newsletter to contacting your office -- or donors won’t do it.

So What Does This Mean for Your Newsletter?

• Few to no stock articles. Customize those you do use with specifics from your organization and donors.
• Great stories about donors, in all kinds of shapes and forms that match the personalities of the individual donors you are profiling.
• Don’t just talk about your donors - let them express themselves.
• Shorter articles that are more personal, friendly, and engaging -- in other words, more human.
• Clear, benefit-laden copy that’s easy to skim, including great headlines and subheadings.
• Shorter, more frequent mailings (whether in print, email, or both).

Learn more about improving your nonprofit's publications during these upcoming webinars:

May 14: Nonprofit Storytelling: How to Write Your Nonprofit's Best Stories

June 19: How to Create Nonprofit Messages That Motivate

July 10: Nonprofit Writing Sucks! Bring Your Writing Back to Life