We often speak of the Millenial generation and their distancing from the current structures of the Jewish communal world while blazing their own paths. Now a look at a recent study of their parents’ generation.

America’s baby boomers are in a collective funk. Members of the large generation born from 1946 to 1964 are more downbeat about their lives than are adults who are younger or older, according to a new Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey.

Not only do boomers give their overall quality of life a lower rating than adults in other generations, they also are more likely to worry that their incomes won’t keep up with inflation — this despite the fact that boomers enjoy the highest incomes of any age group.

And what about the implications for fundraising from this demographic?. According to the Agitator:

Make no mistake. When the largest and most wealthy generation of donors is in a near-Prozac stage and scared to death of their financial future in a society they perceive is going to the dogs, it’s not good news for fundraisers.

Acquisition suffers because they’re reluctant to make new commitments. Retention suffers because the generally skeptical nature of Boomer generation is turbo charged by fear of the future…In short, they’re skittish, disappointed, and they bail far more quickly than either the Seniors or the Newbies.

Is it any wonder acquisition and retention rates for many organizations hit the downward skids at the same time the Boomer generation succeeded the blindly-loyal Seniors as the majority of America’s donors?

You can read more from the Pew Research Center here. And we’ll keep you posted as more information is released this summer about current donor trends.

While we are on the subject of Boomers, take a look at this story from USA Today on how this generation is contributing to society.

Boomers’ new jobs give back

Baby boomers who came of age in the era of John F. Kennedy’s civic call to arms are now, in the second half of their lives, not just asking themselves what they can do for their country, but they’re actually doing it.
A new telephone and Internet survey, touted as the first of its kind, indicates millions of boomers are either quitting their old jobs or coming out of retirement to pursue new careers that not only give them personal meaning but also contribute to society.