A generation of giving back

Four in five boomers say "I have been very fortunate in my life," a new Focalyst study is reporting. In fact, in 2006 boomers made cash contributions of almost $100 billion, which averaged $6,000 for every boomer.

Focalyst examined more than 17,000 boomers and found that:

• Boomers have a desire to give back with time; four out of five boomers say they are willing to volunteer their time for a good cause, and a quarter have volunteered their time to a charitable cause in the last year alone.
• Even if they have the desire to give back in time, many boomers find it easier to contribute more passively by purchasing products from companies that will contribute a portion of the profits to charity, a positive sign for cause marketing.
• Boomers that do volunteer are much more likely to also be "green" shoppers, as 60 percent of boomer volunteers say they try to buy products that are environmentally safe.
• Age alone is not significantly related to the act of volunteering – boomers are just as likely to donate time to a cause as are their elders (Matures born 1945 and prior).
• Some Boomers are predisposed to volunteering as part of how they approach life.