Raising Money for Nonprofits in Terrible Times

Younger members helped pick up the slack, though in the past they had been largely ignored. "In general, we never thought of the younger community," Tauber admits. Just reaching out to them and encouraging groups of them to join up to pool their resources brought the UJA $350,000 in donations.

A big way to engage younger donors has been through technology. The United Nations Foundation, which was launched 10 years ago with a $1 billion gift from media mogul Ted Turner, has its own YouTube channel, uses Twitter and makes videos to document how its money is spent. "You've got to go where the people are," says Kathy Bushkin Calvin, the organization's chief operating officer.