If you listen too much to the pundits, you will hear them describe Generation Y as the “Me” Generation, materialistic and caught up in the need for instant gratification.

If you are smart about this, you will look much deeper, and you will find out that Generation Y is one of the most civic minded generations we have seen since the early 1900’s.

I want to share just a few of those, and I would love to hear more stories from you, so please send those my way to bea@millennialleaders.com.

Sumaya Kazi: The Cultural Connect: The Cultural Connect is a weekly magazine and website which delivers accessible, must-read profiles of the professional world’s often overlooked population of driven, innovative, progressive and successful under-35 leaders to an expansive subscriber base of up-and-coming individuals of the same type.

Nathan Rothstein: YURP: The mission of the NOLA YURP Initiative (NYI) is to build a support and resource network to connect, retain and attract young professionals from diverse backgrounds for a sustainable New Orleans. Nathan is featured in Millennial Leaders in chapter 13.

Meg Busse : Director, Nonprofit Career Transitions Program at Idealist.org. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives. If you peruse the site, you will see many Generation Y’s on staff.

Charise Liggens: Partnership Coordinator for PENCIL. PENCILuilds and supports customized relationships between business leaders and principals to inspire innovation and transform public schools.

Allyson Biegeleisen, Director of Client Services Commongood Careers: Founded by nonprofit professionals, Commongood Careers offers personalized, engaged services to jobseekers and organizations throughout the hiring process, as well as access to a wealth of knowledge about careers in the social sector.

To learn more about young professionals who are doing great work in philanthropy, read this article from April 2008 in The Chronicle of Philanthropy and visit the Young Non Profit Professionals Network. Our Gen Ys are doing a great deal to help out this world, and we all need to acknowledge them for their contributions.

By day, Miriam Kagan works as a strategy director at a leading database marketing agency working with nonprofit clients. In her free time, she loves working on her blog trying to convince nonprofit marketers to pay attention to Gen Yers and figure out ways to get our their attention. And yes, she walks the walk-she tries to give to a different charitable cause every month. Which is probably why she ends up on so many direct mail fundraising lists and gets her mailbox flooded with mail. And she doesn’t respond to any of them-because she is Gen Y and proud of it. Maybe if you tried her on Facebook.

For more information, visit Miriam on her blog: Gen Y Give