When was the last time you tried to buy bread at a supermarket without getting overwhelmed?

If you’re anything like me, just the sheer act of walking into your local big box superstore practically sends you into sensory overload. Just the bread aisle alone must have at least 500 different types and brands of bread, buns, rolls, baguettes, bagels, English muffins, and who knows what else. When you just want to make a sandwich, this can be way too hard. When you’re planning your life, however, most of us believe that more is better.

In his new book, Generations: The Challenge of a Lifetime for Your Nonprofit, Peter Brinckerhoff introduces us to one of those great made-up-by-a-consultant words: MeBranding. In a nutshell, MeBranding is what happens when mass customization is taken down to the level of the individual consumer. When I can go to the iTunes store and buy only the songs I like, use Firefox extensions to create my personal ultimate Internet browsing experience, and rely on Amazon’s algorithyms to tell me exactly what I would like to read – that’s MeBranding.

MeBranding and the Generations
As a general rule, the younger you are, the more choices you have grown up with and come to expect. I’m 30 and I can remember when bread came in two flavors – white and wheat. Ok, maybe raisin, too. The World War II generation could buy a car in any color they wanted “as long as it’s black.” Today one of the biggest trends in automobiles is radically customizing a production car, a process called tuning.

I say all this to get at the fact that most people in their teens, 20s and 30s except a wide array of choices in ALL things, even in how they interact with nonprofits.

But Isn’t That Selfish?
As Mr. Brinckerhoff points out, the whole point of MeBranding is that “it’s all about ME.” That’s the antithesis of the values that the nonprofit sector is supposed to stand for. In his book, Brinckerhoff just sort of makes this point and leaves it hanging. I don’t think that’s adequate. Instead, I would contend that while Millenials and Generation X-ers prefer to have lots of choice, they aren’t “all about ME” all the time. Rather, those generations have become experts at lateral thinking – the art of finding the both/and.

Instead of simple accepting the fact that working for a nonprofit means being paid less than their private sector colleagues, members of Generations X and Y have pioneered social entrepreneurship and alternative benefit structures. Instead of conceding family time for a fulfilling career, members of Generations X and Y have figured out mobile work, multi-tasking, and flex time. All of the “new” math and video game playing has taught two generations to solve complex problems quickly and broadly. Even better, there are ways to take advantage of the strengths of all the generations to further your mission.

How Do I Make These Things Work for My Nonprofit?
Most nonprofits can offer some degree of choice in the way they do things. It may not be as customized as monogrammed tennis shoes, but it can at least steal a little “have it your way” from Burger King. There are four main areas where nonprofit leaders can incorporate choices into their operations to attract Generation X and Y involvement:

1. Leadership Development. Every emerging leader has a different reason for being involved in the nonprofit sector. Talk to your employees and find out what they want to get out of their employment experience. It may be that some want to learn to be executive directors, while others simply want to help with a cause and then move on. As much as possible, try to give people the experiences they are after. If you don’t, they’ll find someone else who will.
2. Benefits. Cafeteria benefit plans are getting less expensive and more diverse all the time. Nonprofit workers are often willing to accept lower salaries in return for other rewards. Some of those rewards are intrinsic – such as helping people in need – but many of them are not. At the last agency I was at, I barely made a living wage, but I only worked 35 hours a week. Think about what you can offer your employees in terms of flex time, memberships, different styles of health insurance, and more. Maybe you can work out some trades with other nonprofits for memberships and services.
3. Donations. When you are soliciting donors, more options is always better. The World War II generation usually wants to pay by check in person or through the mail. Baby Boomers might want the option to use a credit card or have a monthly deduction. Generation X and Y are probably going to want the option of donating online in whatever amount they choose. Donors might also want to designate where their money goes. Perhaps you could have options for donating to a specific program or population that you serve.
4. Volunteer Opportunities. In research that we’ve done in Kent County, we’ve found that the younger you are, the more likely you will be to volunteer during one-time events, rather than having regularly scheduled commitments. It also holds that younger people are more inclined to volunteer in groups. This poses some challenges to organizations (like mentoring programs) whose work requires ongoing time. However, there are many types of work that can be structured as group activities if it is planned well enough. If you want to attract Generation X and Y volunteers, try to offer as many group volunteering opportunities as possible. The more social and fun you can make an activity, the more appealing it will be.

Additional Resources:

• If you’re interested in exploring more about the effect of an overabundance of choices in our daily lives, I recommend The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. Here is a great video where he summarizes the main points of the book.
• If you just love buying customized stuff, you’re in luck. Customize Your Life is a directory of companies that sell customized versions of nearly everything you could ever want or need.

- Maria Gajewski, Kurt Cobain-loving X-er