January 1, 2011, is 100 days away. If you haven't been counting, now is a good time to start. There are now 100 days until the first Baby Boomers turn 65. And starting that day, the Boomers just keep pouring into 65-hood every single day for the next 18 years.
This is a big deal for us.
While giving behavior typically starts to manifest meaningfully in the 50s, it really takes off around age 65. By all ways of measuring giving, the 65+ crowd are the champions. They give more, give more often, and are significantly more loyal to the organizations they support. When you have 65+ donors, you have the mother lode.
That's why January 1, 2011 is an important day for fundraisers. The good news: There are going to be more 65-and-up people than ever in the history of the world. The not-so-good news: These Boomers show some different behaviors and preferences than older generations. We'd better figure them out!
And say happy birthday to those leading-edge 65-year-old Boomers on January first!
Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you'll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. 
