Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Overview
Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Goals:
• Help young adults (ages 18-24 years old) advance the
common good on campus and in their communities
• Help young adults grow as leaders
• Develop an authentic, lasting relationship between young
adults and the United Way movement
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Advancing the Common Good by Focusing
on Education, Income and Health
Helping Children
& Youth Achieve
Their Potential
Community
Involvement
Promoting
Financial Stability
& Independence
Partnerships
Public Policy
Community
Investment
Improving
People’s Health
2-1-1
Resource
Generation
Donor
Relationships
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Today’s college and university students:
• Represent a significant population of young adults in
the USA
• Succeed as volunteers and fundraisers, but can do
even more with United Way help
• Benefit from quality experiences volunteering,
fundraising and with other pro-social activity
• Differ from previous cohorts in important ways
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Population on campuses:
• In 2005 there were over 29 million
18-24 year olds.
• There were about 14 million
undergraduate students in 2005.
• Almost 46% of all 18-24 year olds
had completed or were currently
enrolled in higher education
during 2006.
US Census Bureau, www.census.gov, 2007.
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Students are successful volunteers and fundraisers:
• In 2005, they volunteered approximately 132 million hours1
• They raised millions of dollars in 2006-2007
– Penn State Dance Marathon raised over $5 million
– FSU Relay for Life raised over $135,000
• Existing resources on campus support their efforts
– infrastructure, advising, funding, etc.
• United Way can add community expertise and an impact
perspective to their work
1
Corporation for National and Community Service, “College Students Helping America,” 2006.
2
Independent Sector, Value of Volunteer Time, independentsector.org, 2007.
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Positive effects on young adults:
• On-campus volunteerism helps
develop leadership, work skills,
connection to community, pro-social
attitudes, and more.1
• Students who volunteer are more
likely to give to charities and continue
volunteering later in life.2
Increasing the effect:
• Offer opportunities to reduce the
activation gap between young adults’
desire to be involved and their actual
involvement levels.
1
Astin, Sax, and Avalos, “Long-term effects of volunteerism during the undergraduate years,” 1999.
2
Independent Sector, Giving and Volunteering in the United States, www.independentsector.org, 2007.
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Young adults in today’s world:
• Communicate in new and fast-paced ways, and
they have more access to more outlets for their prosocial activity than ever before
• Are less aware of United Way, but agree more with
United Way’s key principles than other cohorts
• Are connecting with other major nonprofits through
campus programs (Red Cross has more than 110
chapters; Habitat for Humanity even more)
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
• Community Impact
 Generate time, talent, and resources for impact
agenda; help youth achieve their potential
• Branding and Marketing
 Expanded presence for United Way and
partners on campuses and with a new market
• Resource Development
 Short and long-term opportunities to engage
students, campus, and community supporters
• Talent Management
 Connection to United Way and partners as
place for internships and employment
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Approaches to connecting with young people:
• Inspire and be inspired by young adults
• Engage young adults in community work in
meaningful ways
• Empower young adults to continue their engagement
Along the way, United Way and partners will better
understand, connect with, and support Gen Y
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
United Way Students in Action – Pilot Project
• Student-led community change organization on campus
• Advised by local United Way and campus host
• Educating, advocating, volunteering and fundraising
• Special projects such as 10,000 Hours, ASB, and Trash
to Treasure
• Alumni network for long-term connections
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United Way 10,000 Hours Show
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United Way Students in Action
Trash to Treasures
What it is:
• An end of the year collection
of unwanted goods from
college students
• Goods are sold at minimal
cost to community members
Penn State University T2T 2007:
• 6th PSU Trash to Treasure
• 66 tons of items donated
• $49,001 raised for Centre
County United Way
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United Way Alternative Spring Break
•
Engages young people ages 18-24 from
campuses and the work place in United
Way’s hurricane recovery work
•
In 2007, 320 young people participated
•
¼ of participants became involved
through their local UW
•
NCL employees participated
•
ASB 2007 generated 27,059.5 volunteer
hours which credited $496,541.83 of
Louisiana’s cost share to FEMA.
•
84% of participants said they were more
likely to volunteer in the future post-ASB
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United Way Alternative Spring Break
ASB Media:
• On MTV’s Amazing Break
• 213 broadcast stories, 29 print
articles, and 20 online
features
• $315,000: Earned media
value of UWA’s video news
release
• 8% increase on UW’s website
• 14,000 visitors to the ASB
Blog
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Campus & Young Adult Engagement
Advancing the common good now and into the future
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