Micro-donations and the “one click culture”: How Generation Z is engaging in charity in Russia
Micro-donations and the “one click culture”: How Generation Z is engaging in charity in Russia
04.12.2025
Article published on the givingjournal.ru website
Modern-day charity is increasingly ceasing to be the preserve of wealthy philanthropists. Private donors are the foundation of sustainability and a guarantee of sound stewardship across the non-profit sector. However, a new younger audience, Generation Z, is emerging onto the charity scene. They make small but regular donations of 50-100 roubles on apps, websites, QR codes and social media links, as well as being interested in social impact and future change. Their average income is typically modest, but the number and frequency of their contributions generate a significant flow of funds.
“Zoomers love making donations, an idea that was first introduced by bloggers and streamers. They initially did so because they have idols and influencers, people they look up to and want to help. This behaviour then extended to other areas such as charity. As a result, this is now a familiar and well-established practice among the younger generation”, said Anastasia Lozhinka, Director of the Fundraising Development Institute CSO.
This is backed up by research data. The initial results of a study carried out by the Kukhnya (Kitchen) CSO on “Young Donors – 18-25”, which were presented at this year’s White Nights of Funding Conference, showed that 38% of Zoom donors began giving to charity before the age of 18.
A study carried out by the Vyruchai charity and master’s students at the National Research University School of Higher Economics (involving 93 individuals aged between 18 and 35 from cities with a population of more than 500,000), revealed that 48% of respondents have already been involved in charity work. These findings are in line with national statistics. According to the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, 73% of Russians have taken part in charitable activities in recent years, with young people more likely to make online micro-donations than large, one-off, contributions.
International dynamics paint a similar picture. According to the Blackbaud Institute (2024), online donations are continuing to grow, with the number of such transfers among CSOs exceeding 13%.
Young people have their individual habits and are more comfortable making regular micro-donations than the older generation.
Irina Loban, Head of Fundraising at the AdVita charity, said: “Young people are more receptive to the idea of a regular subscription for a small monthly donation. It’s routine for them to subscribe to several online cinemas and charitable foundations. The older generation finds the idea of a “subscription” more difficult to grasp – such an option simply didn’t exist in their day”.
For the Z Generation, the ability to help “with one click” is important because they trust charities that are transparent, have real stories to tell, and practise open reporting.
“I only decide to donate once I’m sure everything has been officially verified”, said Marina, a journalism student at Moscow State University. “Sometimes people get scammed on social media, so I prefer to donate money directly to the charity”, she added.
According to the research carried out by the Kukhnya CSO, 77% of respondents said they valued demonstrable social impacts and information on those who have benefitted from their support. In addition, 67% of young people choose charities by looking at donation reports on the charity’s website.
As Irina Loban explains, trust is a key factor for young people when selecting a charity. “They rarely read long reports, but can sense when a foundation is being open and transparent. If a charity communicates on social media and publishes real stories – that’s already a sign it can be trusted”, she says.
Loban added that Generation Z likes the convenience of digital tools. “They value the ability to make quick and easy donations: they see the QR code, point the camera, select the amount and that’s it. And if the donation is in the form of a subscription, that’s the perfect format: they sign up immediately and their good deed happens automatically”, she said.
This generation wants simplicity and speed. “They want information to be brief, clear, snappy and understandable, so that they can scroll down without wasting any time”, said Anastasia Lozhkina.
Sixty-nine per cent of young people who took part in the Kukhnya survey said they choose charities which make it easy and convenient to make a donation on their website or app.
The AdVita charity actively makes use of quick solutions: QR codes on leaflets, payment links and Telegram bots. “We created a bot with the artist Tatyana Zadorozhnaya. People made donations and received custom-made illustrations with amusing characters like “apatisson” and “yomoyzh”. It’s a game feature which was very popular with young people”, said Loban. Thanks to micro-donations, more than 80,000 roubles were raised.
Emotions and donations
According to the AdVita foundation, digital format enhances emotional engagement.
“Recently, our video of a meeting between bone marrow donors and patients attracted one million views. Inspired by the emotion of the occasion, people went onto the website to make donations, even though no direct appeal was made to the public”, said Loban.
Marina’s story about her first donation also stems from an emotional impulse. “I was involved in a minor road accident and the driver gave me some money so that I wouldn’t call the police. Realising it was wrong to accept it, I decided to donate the money to the Joy in Old Age charity. At the time, it seemed the right thing to do”, she said.
Researchers call this “emotional charity”, i.e. when the decision to help is borne of a spur of the moment experience, which later becomes a habit.
Alexandra Kuzmicheva, PR and SMM specialist at the Joy in Old Age charity, said that many of their volunteers are students and schoolchildren – Generation Z representatives. “They come with their own stories and reasons for wanting to help older people, and always with a desire to share their kindness and affection”, she said.
“The “one-click” format is convenient for all generations. The fewer steps there are between a decision to help and an actual donation, the greater the chance that the person will follow through to the end” said Kuzmicheva.
The charity strives not only to simplify the process, but also to keep in touch with their donors. “We ask that even a small donation be accompanied by a name and e-mail address, so that people can see how their support is changing the lives of older people”, she said.
Joy in Old Age also gave an example of a young donor, who regularly made donations of 100 roubles. In the end, she raised a total of 66,000 roubles, which was enough to pay for two carers to look after elderly patients for a month.
According to Loban, it is young people who are making “micro-donations” socially acceptable. “People over 35 often feel embarrassed about donating small amounts, whereas the young legitimise them. We launched a campaign “There are no ridiculous amounts” during which half of our donors chose to donate between 100 and 500 roubles”.
This willingness to make micro-donations is changing the very perception of charity: it is not the size of the amount that matters but consistency. Sometimes, a person will post “I only donated 50 roubles” and others reply “Me too”. This is how a community is born. And it is precisely this sense of belonging that defines the younger generation. Such transfers really do provide tangible help. For example, in September, we raised 96,000 roubles from 200-rouble donations, enough to cover a month’s rent for two flats for our wards”, said Loban.
Everyone interprets the term “micro-donation” in their own way. Our heroine, Marina, however, has a slightly different view of the concept. “I donate according to my mood – sometimes more, sometimes less. But never less than 1,000 roubles. I think 100 roubles is just to ease your conscience. If you want to help, the amount needs to matter in some way”, she says.
Micro-donations and micro-awareness
Aside from a donation’s size, the most important thing for young people is awareness. They value not only speed and convenience, but also an understanding of why they’re helping. For them, support goes beyond money. Young people are becoming increasingly involved in “small actions” such as volunteering, sorting parcels and sharing information on social media.
Marina says that, for her, personal involvement is just as important as providing material assistance. “I love videos where people help the elderly – paying for groceries, buying food. They always make me cry, but these are tears of joy. The older generation once provided for us, now we must help them in return”.
According to the Young Donors: 18-25 (Kukhnya ) CSO study, the main motivations for young donors are “compassion, a desire to help those in need, and a wish to be involved in something important and meaningful”, with family playing a more influential role than for other donor groups.
“This is a generation that wants to be part of bringing about change. They need a meaningful purpose, not just donating money. But they also need a different perspective – a more thoughtful one. They are more vulnerable and sensitive than previous generations which therefore requires a special approach”, said Anastasia Lozhkina.
According to Irina Loban, “We realised that we should not play on people’s sympathy but instead show that charity is a joyful thing. For example, the First Deed campaign allows individuals to make a deferred payment, which is debited at midnight on 1 January. People say that the “ping” of an SMS donation is part of the New Year celebrations, and many then sign up for a subscription”.
“Despite being more vulnerable, this generation wants less personalised communication – a simple “hello” without mentioning a name is quite enough for them: they value short content, not long reads or lengthy stories”, said Lozhkina.
Today, charities are increasingly adopting the language of social media and stories in order to talk to young people in a way they can understand. According to AdVita, these formats are precisely how new donors are attracted to their organisation: some transfer money after reading a blogger’s post, others after a short Reels story.
“We publish reports on social media and on our website, but we know that young people are unlikely to study them in detail. It is more important for them that charities communicate simply and in a human way”, says Koban.
This is how the new “one click culture” is taking shape, when helping others is built into a familiar digital routine that requires little effort. Donating has become as natural an action as liking or subscribing.
“For us, tens of thousands of monthly donations of 100-500 roubles provide stability and instils confidence. Currently, 75% of our donors contribute amounts of up to 500 roubles. This allows us to provide help without any interruptions”, said Loban.
Marina adds: “It’s important to create more opportunities for young people to get involved in a systematic way. For example, universities could organise “charity days” so that good deeds can be encouraged”.
Marina’s story is another example of how Generation Z is drawn to charity through personal stories and empathy. For them, helping is part of everyday life.
“You just have to help. It’s axiomatic. If there’s an opportunity to do even a little, you should”, she said.
