By Jennifer Openshaw
From Greta Thunberg to Amanda Gorman to our Girls With Impact’s graduate Anika Gupta, the next generation is certainly shaking things up and making a mark.
Whether it’s climate change, gender equality, or finding cures, Gen Z is looking to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues – and look to programs that hone their business and leadership skills, like Girls With Impact’s Academy, to make an impact.
While Gen Z men place greater priority on money and job success, GenZ women are eager to innovate, launch a venture, and drive real change.
One of the most critical functions of an entrepreneur is raising money, and one of the best ways to prepare for that is to practice it by raising money for causes that are important personally.
Combine the commitment of Gen Z to social impact and the benefit raising money for meaningful causes can bring, and you have a sea-change in what you can expect to see in your inbox… or your TikTok or Instagram feeds.
This giving season, for example, over 50 of our Girls With Impact’s Academy graduates – Girls With Impact Ambassadors – will put their digital acumen, passion, and toolkit to work for a national giving campaign, “The Moments That Made Us.”
Greenwich’s own Anika Gupta, a Girls With Impact graduate and now a student at Georgetown University, recalls the moment that made her when she was trying to decide what to do after attending Greenwich High.
“I always knew I wanted to go to med school,” recalls Anika. “I remember my advisor saying: ‘Sometimes, personal sacrifices are the cost to live a life that’s meant to help others. If you’re able to make those sacrifices, this is the path for you. If not, unfortunately, you’re just not cut out for it, and that’s ok too.’ It was the first time someone was blunt about the personal sacrifices you have to make for a career.“
It’s moments like these that GenZ will be sharing to inspire others to pay it forward while honing those essential skills for work success.
While the Baby boomers will be sifting through annual appeals – letters, postcards, and calendars — stuffed in their mailboxes, these Gen Z women ages 14-24 will meet their peers where they are: online.
Here’s what you can expect to see from Gen Z women:
● Video snippet messages on your Instagram or TikTok channels — These ambitious women will use these short videos to speak personally about an issue they care about while asking for a donation.
● Personalized Facebook campaigns – Facebook is where most of older people are and Gen Z women know this. You might get an email or direct message from their Facebook campaign – The Moments That Made Us – featuring their own story of the moment that made them.
● Group texts – Everyone is texting now; these women will send a text with a short message and a QR code as they strive to raise money for important causes.
For many organizations, harnessing Gen Z’s digital talents has a two-fold benefit: not only does it help raise funds for the cause, but it also builds on the business and leadership training these women have received.
For families, it demonstrates the importance of giving, reinforces the desire to have social impact, brings families together in a meaningful venture, and develops skills. For these young women, the experience can take them to another level.
When you know that 55% of Gen Z wants to be their own boss and just 2% of the $200 Billion in venture funding is awarded to female founders, you begin to realize why early intervention is so critical to their success.
With the giving season upon us, this is the perfect opportunity to enhance the skills budding in Gen Z and help realize the mission to level the playing field for women in business and beyond that Girls With Impact strives to achieve.
Jennifer Openshaw is CEO of Greenwich-based Girls With Impact, the nation’s leading nonprofit business and leadership program for young women 14-24, which has helped prepare more than 15,000 women to enter the workplace. She is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and commentator who has appeared on Oprah, CNBC and more.
