Teaching Teens About Charitable Giving
There's no better time than the holidays to teach your teens the significance of making a difference. By helping them create a giving circle—a group of people who pool individual contributions to make a bigger charitable donation—you'll enable them to have a greater impact and pick up some valuable life lessons. "Kids become much better informed, not only as philanthropists but as active community members," says Ken Menkhaus, Ph.D., professor of political science at Davidson College in North Carolina, who helped launch a course as part of the Learning By Giving program. Classes at selected schools—including Tufts, Columbia and UC Berkeley—research local nonprofits and debate who should receive grant money. But you don't have to wait until your kids reach college. Just use this simple plan to get your teens to step up.
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How do you teach your children how to give to others? What experiences have your family had serving others together?
- Get together. Have your teen invite 5 to 10 friends or classmates who are interested in doing good. Menkhaus suggests starting small, since too many members can complicate decision making. Next, create a name for the giving circle and determine how often it will meet and where.
- Settle on a sum. Members should decide on how much they'd like to donate, and whether they will pool their own money or solicit donations, either individually or through fundraising events. Remind them that the point isn't the dollar amount but the effort and act of giving. Even a modest contribution can have a major impact.
- Talk it through. When choosing a beneficiary, tell members they may have to agree to disagree. "Some might want to give to a food pantry, which isn't solving a long-term problem, while others might feel strongly about a cause that's sustainable, like job creation," Menkhaus says. "They'll learn a lot about themselves and one another's core values." Teens can research a range of charities, both national and local. "They could look into affordable housing, homeless shelters, health care and after-school programs, either by reading the local newspaper, contacting neighborhood charities or speaking with community leaders," he says.
More from Family Circle:
- Holiday Gifts for Those in Need
- Charitable Giving During the Holidays
- How to Make Holidays Meaningful
How do you teach your children how to give to others? What experiences have your family had serving others together?
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Comments
I work for a company that provides volunteer hours so we can take off work to volunteer and provides opportunities for employees to support the community.
There are things everyone can do regardless of personal budget. I gave / volunteered even when I was without a job. - 12/12/2012 1:18:24 PM
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