First Day Podcast

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes back the brilliant Una Osili, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. They dive into the hot-off-the-press study, The Next Generation of Philanthropy, revealing how Millennials and Gen Z are shaping the future of charitable giving. Spoiler alert: these younger donors may not have all the money yet, but they sure have the passion, and they’re bringing fresh expectations to the table. Bill and Una explore how these rising generations prioritize causes over organizations, a key shift from older donor behaviors. Basic needs and religious giving remain top priorities, though younger donors’ religious contributions often go toward faith-based service organizations rather than traditional houses of worship. On the other hand, education and the arts are facing challenges: younger donors show lower engagement with these sectors, partly due to shifting trust