What we can learn from today’s twenty somethings
Years ago, I described the coming transfer of wealth as a “sleeping bear.” I talked about it cautiously—maybe even a little nervously—wondering what might happen when that bear finally woke up.
I don’t think it’s sleeping anymore.
And it turns out, it was never just about money. What’s unfolding now is a transfer of influence, decision-making, and values.
A decade ago, when I wrote about learning from the “next generation,” I meant Gen X and Millennials—those racing ahead of me in technology and new ways of thinking. Today those “next-gens” are running organizations, raising families, and shaping communities.
And a new group has taken their place: the twenty-somethings.
They don’t remember a world without smartphones, social movements on social media, or the ability to question everything in real time.
What I’m realizing now is this: they aren’t just adapting to change—they expect it. And they’re not waiting to be invited into the conversation.
The question is no longer whether they’re ready. The question is whether we are.
Stopped in my mental tracks
Not long ago, I found myself in a conversation with someone in her twenties about funding a community program. I offered what I thought was a thoughtful, experienced perspective, shaped by years of working with donors and nonprofits.
She listened politely and then asked a simple question: “But how do you know it’s actually working?”
I began to explain the usual measures—participation, feedback, longevity. She nodded, but I could tell I hadn’t answered her question.
What she was asking was deeper.
She wanted to know about outcomes. Real outcomes. Who was better off, and how? Why this program instead of another? And perhaps most importantly, were the people closest to the issue helping shape the solution?
I was stopped in my mental tracks.
Not because she was wrong.
But because she was looking at the same situation through an entirely different lens—more direct, more skeptical, and frankly, more demanding.
That moment didn’t change my mind overnight.
But it did change my posture.
I found myself listening differently.
What they’re teaching us
The more I pay attention, the more I see that today’s twenty-somethings are teaching us—if we’re willing to learn.
Impact over intention
Good intentions are no longer enough. They want to see results, and they’re not shy about asking.
Speed over process
Where we see careful planning, they often see unnecessary delay. Their question is simple: if something needs to be done, why not do it now?
Access over hierarchy
They’re less interested in who has always led and more interested in who is closest to the problem. Lived experience carries weight.
Authenticity over polish
They trust people more than institutions, stories more than reports, transparency more than perfection.
Alignment over competition
Work, giving, relationships, and values—they expect these things to align, not compete.
It would be easy to interpret all of this as impatience or idealism.
Sometimes, it is.
But sometimes, it’s clarity.
A different kind of partnership
There is a new partnership to be formed. It begins with a shift in how we show up.
Not as experts with answers, but as participants in a conversation.
Not as gatekeepers, but as collaborators.
Not as teachers alone, but as learners, too.
Today’s challenge: start with a conversation
Start a conversation with someone in their twenties.
Not to advise.
Not to correct.
Just to understand.
Ask them how they decide where to give their time or money. Ask them what makes them trust an organization. When would they walk away? Ask them what impact means to them.
Then listen.
Really listen.
Resist the urge to respond with how things have always been done. Instead, ask one more question.
And then another.
You may not agree with everything you hear. I don’t. But you will learn something.
And you may find, as I have, that the most important shift isn’t in their thinking. It’s in our own.
Years ago we wondered what might happen when the “sleeping bear” of generational change finally woke up.
Now we know.
The next generation isn’t waiting.
Maybe the better question is why are we?
Read it. Share it. Pass it on.
If you have a question or a topic you would like to see explored in future posts, please reach out to me.
Website: www.dawnfranks.com
Email: dawn@dawnfranks.com
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-franks-strategicsolutions/
