Investment in Gen Y Can Help Non-Profits Grow

November 23, 2011 by Tamara Bell

[HTML1] The holiday season is a time filled with shopping, parties, and family traditions. But it’s also a time to think of others less fortunate. For both Gen Y and nonprofits, however, connecting to broaden participation in giving seems to be a challenge. How can these two forces come together to make a difference in people’s lives?

Dr. Jen Shang, an assistant professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to discuss ways that nonprofits can use social media and new fundraising technology to encourage young people to give money, time, and talent to worthy causes. She also explains how changing the mindsets of both nonprofits and Gen Y can lead to purposeful careers in the fundraising field.

More about Jen Shang
Jen Shang is the world’s only philanthropic psychologist and an assistant professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. She co-authored a recent report, Growing Philanthropy in the United States, which drew on existing research and the June Growing Philanthropy Summit, a meeting of 30 influential leaders from the nonprofit industry for discussions in Washington, D.C.

Her professional interests include Philanthropic Psychology, Donor Behavior, Fund Development, and Nonprofit Marketing. Jen received her undergraduate degree at Beijing Normal University, a Master of Science at Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Arts at University of Pennsylvania, and her doctorate at Indiana University.

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About Tamara Bell

Tamara Bell is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Y Gen Out Loud, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides a platform for Generation Yto discuss national politics and public policy issues.

Tamara began her journalism career as a staff reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. A few years later, she moved to York, Pa., as a political reporter for the York Dispatch, covering local, state, and national government as well as writing investigative stories for the mid-sized daily newspaper.

A Texas girl at heart, Tamara returned to Dallas a year later to work as press relations director for the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. John Bryant. The next year, she moved to Austin and the Texas Legislature, where she stayed for 15 years. While at the Legislature, Tamara worked for Democratic House members as Chief-of-Staff and Press Secretary, and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Senate State Affairs Committee chaired by a Republicansenator.

In 1996, Tamara became co-owner of a political newsletter covering state issues and elections. As Editor-in-Chief, Tamara helped shape the weekly publication into a must-read for state officials, legislative aides, and lobbyists. More recently, Tamara wrote a regular column analyzing coverage by the Texas Capitol Press Corps for an online political publication. She also works as a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texasat Austin.

Tamara has also been a judge for the 2010 Bright Ideas Award given by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, served as a panelist at the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Region 8 Conference where the theme was How to Save Journalism, and has been a guest lecture for the Advertising Department’s Internship course, speaking about the jobs outlook for graduating seniors.

Tamara earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She resides in Austin with her son, Jackson.

Tamara Bell is also the Host of Keeping Up with Gen Y on WomensRadio. Keeping Up with Gen Y offers discussions, interviews, and commentary about important issues of the day from the perspective of Generation Y (18-to 30-years-old). Aimed at all generations interested in learning about and inspiring young people, this show features professionals, experts, researchers, and members of Gen Y who share insights and experiences about the topics on the minds of today’s young adults.