Children and Giving

For 5 - 12 years old

Sharing the joy of giving with children of all ages is an integral part of Family Philanthropy.  As with the nurturing of any interest or skill, learning about and enjoyment of giving happen more “naturally” when children are young.  “The best age range to educate children about and involve them in philanthropy is five to 12,” said Doug Mellinger, founder of Foundation Source Inc. at the recent annual meeting of the International Association of Advisors in Philanthropy.

Why teach children to give?

Gifts of “time, talent and resources” are essential to the support and care of our communities.  The legacy of giving - from one generation to the next - sustains healthy communities in good times and especially in difficult times.

As almost any “giver” will tell you, too, a gift always gives back to the donor in unexpected ways!  In the case of children, giving is more than learning to share with others.

It helps them to learn life skills as they:

• identify their own values and interests
• think about to whom to give and how much
• balance saving, spending and sharing
• evaluate the effectiveness and impact of their gift

Resources on teaching children to give

There are many publications and organizations with Web Sites focused on children and giving.  The following is a sample of these resources:

• The Giving Family: Raising Our Children to Help Others, Susan C. Price
  • For review: http://www.casefoundation.org/spotlight/youthgiving
  • Available at www.thegivingfamily.org
• Sharing and Caring: Children and Philanthropy

Among the topics covered:

• Teachable Moments and Philanthropic Values
• Establishing a Family Tradition of Giving:  Your Role
• Teachable Ages: Developmental Differences

Links

• Case Foundation
• Learning to Give
• Moonjars
• Penny Harvest
• Share Save Spend

Is this information helpful to you?  Do you know of other resources to help children to give?  We welcome your feedback and information at ltamaribuchi@hcf-hawaii.org.