HOT AND FUZZY: young arms of nonprofits

Apathy is so last season. Maybe it’s the post-election echo of “Hope!” and “Change!” mantras, but whatever their political persuasion, there’s less convincing needed to get young professionals involved with favorite nonprofits. Lending time to philanthropic groups, civic collectives, and arts organizations is a feel-good trend, and many groups are responding with special initiatives targeting Readers Like You. There are of course the early-birds groups that have been around for years, like the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Kitchen Cabinet, a team of volunteers who throw fundraising fetes for the organization, and the MFA’s Museum Council, a membership-based committee that proves gray-haired relics aren’t the only active culture vultures in the collection. Newer organizations are also finding success; recent launches include the nonprofit Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Young Professionals Group, which provides volunteering and event-organizing opportunities for the twenty- and thirty-something crowd, and the Young Partners of Boston Ballet. Even more are on the horizon, with a Boston Young Professional Society at the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay coming together for the fall. Sure, there are some practical advantages to getting more engaged: the young pros get to network with like-minded friends, and nonprofits build brand loyalty now with tomorrow’s deep-pocket donors. But call us romantics — we think celebrating the common good is the motivation of the moment.