Young Donors Are Going Analog. Your Nonprofit Should Too.
- Patrick Kirby
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
The Great Unplugging Is Here and It's the Best News Nonprofits Have Gotten in Years
It feels like I've been saying this forever.
Like, actual calendar years of telling every nonprofit professional who will listen and at every conference I have been speaking: go analog.
Pick up the phone.
Write a handwritten note.
Host an in-person event.
Stop trying to out-algorithm a billion-dollar social media company with your $37 monthly marketing budget.
And now? Instead of just my gut instinct – I’ve got actual numbers to back it up baby!
A recent survey from Talker Research and ThriftBooks dropped, and it finally says what we've been screaming:
People are unplugging. On actual purpose. And they're way happier because of it.
You want to know what the most interesting part of that fact is? A crazy thing that should make every nonprofit development director sit up and pay a helluva lot of attention to?
Gen Z is leading the charge.
Yes. Of all people, Gen Z.
The generation that grew up with a smartphone fused to their hand? 63% of them are now intentionally disconnecting from their screens. That's the highest rate of any generation.
Higher than millennials (57%). Higher than Gen X (42%). Way higher than boomers (29%).
The digital natives are the first ones running for the exits.
Ain’t that telling?
And if you're a nonprofit wondering where your next generation of donors is hiding? They're not in your Instagram DMs. They're reading a book. Writing in a journal. Playing a board game. Living in the actual, physical, analog world.
This is your world.
So why should you, a nonprofit that has probably spent an inordinate amount of time carefully crafting that social media plan care about the Great Unplugging?
Because the thing that young Americans are craving - real connection, real community, real presence - is LITERALLY what nonprofits do better than anyone on the planet.
The survey found that 70% of time spent online leaves people feeling disconnected and lonely. Not connected. Not inspired. Disconnected. Lonely. Overwhelmed. Anxious. Irritable.
“Awesome! I want more of that!” said no one except for that guy on Facebook who comments on every local news post that you kinda knew from high school but now has become an expert on both international immigration AND most recently an expert on global oil pricing and trade.
You know what doesn't make people feel that way?
Your yearly fundraising gala.
Your brand-new volunteer event.
Your almost-too-messy-to-read handwritten thank-you card.
Your mission.
The entire nonprofit sector is built on human connection. And right now, an entire generation has literally said they are starving for it.
This isn't just a cultural trend. This is a fundraising opportunity the size of the Tuesday night meat raffle at the VFW here in West Fargo.
IYKYK.
“Ok, Patrick. You’ve got my attention. How on earth can a nonprofit like mine reach younger donors who have decided to go analog?”
I got you boo!
Let’s get awesome. And practical.
Because I'm not going to just tell you the world is changing and then leave you hanging like I do when my kid asks me to “dab him up” at the dinner table:
1. Host real, in-person experiences.
Stop defaulting to another email campaign or social media post and start creating moments people actually want to show up for. The survey says more than half of people are choosing face-to-face time with friends and family as their preferred offline activity. Your events aren't competing with Netflix anymore, they're competing with a board game night. And honestly? You can win that fight. But you’re gonna have to make it something worth putting pants on for.
2. Send handwritten notes. Actual ones.
23% of Americans have gone back to writing paper letters. That’s a crapload of humans who are picking up a pen. If a quarter of the country is rediscovering the mailbox, your donor stewardship plan should include something that doesn't require WiFi. A handwritten thank-you note from your ED (or even better, your board members!), is worth more than 29 automated email sequences. I promise.
3. Create tactile, physical touchpoints.
People are buying paper calendars, using notebooks, and wearing watches again. They want things they can hold. So…give them something to hold dammit! A printed impact report. A branded journal. An actual physical invitation. A piece of your mission they can put on their fridge. (“But Patrick, postage is expensive!” Not as expensive as losing out on a potential funder OR worse…losing a current donor! So there!)
4. Build community, not content.
Here's a fun little mindset shift: stop thinking about "engaging audiences" online and start thinking about building actual communities offline. Volunteer groups. Giving circles. Donor dinners. Mission trips. Book clubs (Hell, 70% of Americans plan to read more this year - so start one around your cause area, or casually drop that you know of a great Amazon Best Selling book about fundraising like a 5th grader…they’d be impressed). The organizations that win the next decade are going to be the ones that feel like belonging, not just another vanity metric.
5. Use analog to start the relationship, digital to maintain it.
I'm not saying burn your laptop. Far from it. Digital tools, including AI, are still useful but they're the maintenance crew, not the welcoming committee. Meet people in the real world first. Be curious and ask interesting and weird questions. All the screen time can come later.
The majority of Americans say they plan to embrace "slow living" in 2026. And who’d a thunk it: Gen Z and millennials are leading that too.
Slow living is just prioritizing quality over speed. Presence over productivity. Meaning over metrics.
Sound familiar? It should. My therapist has been saying that to me for years! HA!
Jokes aside this is the entire nonprofit value proposition.
Your mission isn't fast. It's not optimized for 10,000 clicks. It's deep, human, and meaningful. And for the first time in forever, that's exactly what the culture is asking for.
So stop trying to be louder on the internet. (No one actually wants that). And start being more present in the real world.
The donors are already there. Just waiting.
The great unplugging isn't a threat to your fundraising. It's the best thing that's happened to nonprofits since…well, whatever the nonprofit equivalent to sliced bread would be.
Go analog & go human!
Together, we’ve got this!
-Patrick
PS: Want help building an analog-first donor engagement strategy that actually works? That's literally what I do. Reach out at dogoodbetterconsulting.com or check out Do Good YOUniversity for on-demand training that meets you where you are. Even if "where you are" is on your couch, avoiding your inbox.
A Few Cool FAQ’s for Cool Nonprofits!
Are young people really leaving social media?
Not entirely, but they're sure setting intentional boundaries. 63% of Gen Z and 57% of millennials are actively choosing to unplug for parts of their day. They're not abandoning tech. They're reclaiming control over when and how they use it.
Does this mean nonprofits should stop using digital marketing?
Nope. Not at all. Digital is still a critical tool for maintaining relationships and spreading awareness. But it shouldn't be your only strategy. Especially for building new donor relationships. But think, "Do I like it when I answer the phone and I have to deal with a robot asking me questions?" No. You don't. And neither do your donors.
What's the best way to reach Gen Z donors right now?
In person. Through experiences. Through community. Gen Z is hungry for real human connection and nonprofits are uniquely positioned to offer exactly that. Host events, create volunteer opportunities, and build spaces where people belong.
How does the 'analog trend' affect donor stewardship?
It means your handwritten notes, printed impact reports, and in-person thank-you events just became even more powerful. When everyone else is sending emails, the organization that sends a real letter (or at a digital minimum…picking up the damn phone!) stands out like a unicorn at a horse show.