"The most important factors considering where people donate are proximity (favoring local donations) and how close it is to their heart"

I agree these are important factors in how people like me often chose a charity but an equal or greater factor is having a sense of confidence that the Guiding Company and the charities it's owned by are not only legit but also effective. In these days where so many people have reduced trust in just about everything, I think it's critical for some trusted means for "certification" of effectiveness and integrity to be in place, much as Brad describes in his full length post  (i.e. “NCCOs”).  It's sad but there is a lot of skepticism out there today which keeps some people on the sidelines especially with lesser known charities.

I think Guided Consumption works across multiple generations and for somewhat different reasons.  While I believe all generations would like to do better for the world (and this could provide an easy, natural and "low cost" way to do so) it's worth considering the very large population of retired and retiring boomers as a fertile pool of high value labor.  As evidenced by the recent drain of experience from corporate America due to the relatively affluent, aging population retiring, there is a very strong pool of knowledgeable people with a) more time on their hands than they know what to do with and b) a growing motivation to give back in some meaningful way as their personal priorities change.

Many retirees who have spent decades in the working world in which a significant portion of their self-worth and social interactions were formed are struggling as they move into the next phase of their lives especially after many of their bucket-list items have been either checked or reevaluated.   Even if there is no personal financial need there will likely be a real demand for opportunities for retirees to retain or regain some of this structure, especially if the fruits of their labor can more directly and reliably do good for others than was likely the case during their working years.   As Guided Consumption gains more traction and clear needs and opportunities are created, experienced individuals are available in unprecedented numbers to participate in the creation or staffing of either supporting organizations or even the Guided Companies themselves and very likely to do so at below market (or even no) cost.  Talk about an business advantage!