We've all seen people across the country and around the world struggling financially from the fallout of COVID-19. As our Cause and Social Influence researchers have continued to track young Americans' (ages 18-30) behavior related to causes during this time, we sought to understand the ramifications of these financial struggles from two perspectives: that of a young employee and that of a nonprofit. What we found is a fundamental shift in the mindset of young Americans that could hinder nonprofits' ability to recruit and retain talented staff.

Each quarter, our researchers track this age group's behaviors and motivations related to social issues and major moments and movements. In the first report of 2021, we found that their interest in social issues had become much more personal, thanks largely to their experiences during the pandemic. Now, findings from our research conducted in June underscore just how personal those issues have become.

We've already seen mindset shifts among young Americans related to what causes they choose to support and how they take action to support them. Racial equity soared to the forefront in mid-2020; health care became the top concern later in the year. In our March 2021 research, we saw that social issues had become much more personal to this age group ― what directly affected them as individuals was uppermost in their minds.

In our June research, we saw how the financial uncertainty of the pandemic has forced many young Americans to reassess their career plans. We identified a shift in how they were choosing an employer to work for. Where an individual might have sought employment at a nonprofit prior to the pandemic because they believed in the mission, young Americans are now giving more weight to salaries than to mission in deciding to accept (or not to accept) a nonprofit position.

Here are some of the key findings from our recently published report, Influencing Young America to Act – Summer 2021 (8 pages, PDF).

Salary over mission drives the decision whether to work for nonprofits.

Many young Americans went into the pandemic with hourly or temporary jobs and/or jobs in the gig economy, "which have less-predictable earnings and are the first to be cut in economic downturns, [which] can have permanent effects on young adults' careers," according to the Urban Institute. Though salary and benefits have always been strong decision drivers for this age group when seeking employment, those wishing to work in nonprofits have traditionally been willing to accept lower pay to serve a societal need. Now, however, fewer young Americans have that luxury. Many who formerly would have dedicated their working hours to doing good are now giving more weight to the benefits and wages they can earn. A third of our survey respondents said low pay kept them from accepting a job at a nonprofit.

Young Americans are donating their professional services.

For the first time since we began tracking this age group, the top three actions taken to support a social issue included donating professional services they normally are paid to perform. This could be a response to accepting employment outside the nonprofit industry: Where they can't afford to work, they will give their talent. Signing a petition, either on a cause's website or shared on social media, continues to be the top action young Americans take to show their support for a social issue.

As in previous studies, young Americans were more likely to be influenced to take action by an online ad (44 percent) or a request from an organization they follow (44 percent) than for any other reason. This quarter, however, we saw a larger percentage than ever before citing those factors.

Interestingly, more than half (55 percent) of Hispanic Americans were influenced by an online ad, yet were least likely (12 percent) to respond to a request to act by a local company from which they make purchases. More than half (51 percent) of Black Americans acted at the request of an organization they follow.

Young Americans are taking actions to amplify racial equity.

Since George Floyd's death in late May 2020, our research has shown a strong, consistent concern for racial inequality, discrimination, and social justice. Back in October, 60 percent of young Americans said they had chosen a presidential candidate based on the candidate's position on racial inequality, discrimination, and injustice toward Black Americans. Nearly nine months later, survey respondents are still actively supporting Black Lives Matter, along with PRIDE and #MeToo, more than any other movement. (We should mention that animals/animal rights is always at the top of the list of social issues young Americans care about; because their level of interest and involvement doesn't change, we usually do not comment on it.)

The country is on track, and Biden is doing well.

Unlike before the 2020 presidential election, more than half of young Americans now think the country is on track, and nearly three-quarters say President Joe Biden is handling the social issues they care most about in a manner they approve of. Given this perception of a more positive state of the country, and given that they now see social issues as more personal, young people want the administration to focus on securing their future: creating jobs by strengthening the economy; protecting human rights by fixing immigration; and addressing climate change.

In addition, nearly a third (30 percent) of Black Americans said Biden has addressed issues of racial inequality, discrimination, and social injustice toward Black Americans "extremely well," and 28 percent of Hispanic Americans agreed. At the other end of the spectrum, 21 percent percent of white respondents said he has handled these issues "not well at all," significantly more than the 5 percent of Black Americans who said the same. This gap may reflect a lack of understanding of what racial inequality really is; in an August 2020 NPR/Ipsos poll, white Americans were less likely (30 percent) to have "taken concrete action to better understand racial issues after George Floyd's killing" than Hispanic (51 percent), Asian (49 percent), or Black Americans (41 percent).

The shift toward the personalization of social issues among young Americans will be an interesting trend to monitor. The anxiety and depression young adults are feeling with this crisis is unprecedented, and experts say the effects will be long-lasting. This likely means social issues will continue to be highly personal to this generation for some time. Meanwhile, the pandemic has increased attention on corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which may offer young American job seekers their chance to do good at for-profit, rather than nonprofit, employers.

Download Influencing Young America to Act – Summer 2021.

Derrick Feldmann (@derrickfeldmann) is the founder of the Millennial Impact Project, lead researcher at Cause and Social Influence, and the author of The Corporate Social Mind. Read more by Derrick.