Our role in raising kind, empathetic kids today has never been harder. As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, mentors, it can be a challenge to pull a kid outside of themselves to build understanding of the outside world. 

We, at GPA, are of the mind that it is never too early to start building muscles of generosity and empathy in kids. When I was in first grade, we adopted a family during the holidays. I still remember the children’s names, ages and their Santa lists. It had a profound impact on me and the importance of sharing with others. 
Small, meaningful gestures and conversations instill lifelong habits of compassion, empathy and generosity.  Modeling behaviors, reading books and regular conversations centered around community are a great place to start. Don’t just wait for the holidays to pick up the conversation; it should be a consistent and steady conversation throughout the year among all ages in a family. The National Center for Family Philanthropy has curated a comprehensive collection of resources and tools for kids and family to engage in philanthropy. Check it out to get started!

Ways to Meaningfully Engage Kids in Philanthropy

Getting started can feel daunting. You may wonder, is this too much for a family to tackle? Isn’t this the work of Warren Buffet and MacKenzie Scott? Start with simple, meaningful gestures. The Giving Square shares a regular newsletter for families with simple and impactful ideas to make a difference.

1. Model Generosity: Simply put, children are always watching and listening. Starting at an early age, they learn by observing the adults in their life. Share stories about why you give and volunteer and how it aligns with your family values. Demonstrate acts of kindness in everyday life. Help your neighbors. Check on elderly relatives and friends. Consistent generosity in a household builds habits for a lifetime.

2. Make It Hands-On and Fun: Tangible activities resonate with kids. For example, visit a food bank to pack meals, participate in a beach cleanup, or create care packages for the unhoused in your community. These experiences leave lasting impressions and help children connect giving with action and their community. And don’t forget to make it fun and take the obligation out of the activity. 

3. Empower Their Choices: Let kids choose causes that matter to them. If your child loves animals, explore opportunities to support animal shelters. If they’re passionate about the environment, involve them in tree-planting initiatives. To ensure that kids’ involvement in philanthropy has some “stickiness”, tailor the experience to their age, interests and make it fun! Spend some time with each child in your family to understand their interests. If you have a teen, you may want to explore their motivational values and how those translate to their giving and volunteering. Giving them agency makes the experience more engaging and personal.

4. Connect Across Generations: Tap into that powerful bond between grandparents and grandchildren to spark generosity. Creating a ritual of volunteerism between the generations can spark creativity; catalyze conversations about community and family values; and make some memories as well. Grandparents can share their favorite nonprofits by taking grandchildren on nonprofit site visits. This creates an easy way for one generation to share with another their values, their life experiences and their community passions.

5. Read Books that Evoke Empathy and Compassion: The GPA team has a library of books to recommend for all ages that help to put a young person in the shoes of others and build understanding of a world that is beyond them. Aside from regular volunteering and site visits, reading is one of the best ways to build empathy in young people. And reading together makes for an even more powerful experience. 

6. Integrate Philanthropy into Family Giving Traditions: Make giving and volunteering a family ritual. For example, during the holidays, adopt a family in need or donate to a cause in lieu of some gifts. Making a gift in honor of a family member may spark an interesting conversation about your community or provide an opportunity to share why a cause matters to you. Celebrate milestones with charitable acts, such as dedicating birthdays to fundraising for a favorite cause. 

7. Encourage a Give, Save, Spend Mantra: Use philanthropy as a tool to teach kids about financial literacy, budgeting, saving, and the value of money. Introduce the concept of the “three jars”: one for saving, one for spending, and one for giving. The Moon Jar is a simple tool to use. Encourage them to allocate funds to each jar regularly and make a habit of talking about what passions are driving their giving. 

8. Encourage Reflection: After participating in philanthropic activities, have conversations about the experience. What did they learn? How did it make them feel? How do they view their community now? What did you learn about your family? Reflection deepens their understanding and reinforces the value of giving.
9. Provide Leadership Opportunities: For older kids and teens, involve them in planning or leading philanthropic projects. They could organize a fundraising event, create an awareness campaign, or lead a service project at school. They can also lead a volunteer project among siblings and cousins within a family. These opportunities build confidence and leadership skills.

When Should We Engage Kids in Philanthropy?

It’s never too early to start building the muscle of generosity in your kids. It is only a matter of engaging in age appropriate activities and conversations. The right engagement depends on your family’s culture, the children’s maturity level, and the context of your giving. Here are some milestones to consider:

Early Childhood: Young children can learn about sharing and caring for others. Simple activities like donating toys, participating in community clean-ups, or helping bake goods for a fundraiser introduce them to the concept of helping others.

Elementary School: At this stage, children begin to understand more abstract concepts like fairness and justice. They can be involved in selecting causes they care about, such as animal welfare or helping classmates in need. Encourage them to set aside a portion of their allowance for charitable purposes. Another idea is to provide a check for a certain amount for every month of the year. They then conduct some research and decide on where that month’s check should be donated.

Teenagers: Teens are ready for deeper engagement. They can research nonprofits, volunteer independently, or participate in family discussions about your philanthropic goals. This is also a great time to involve them in decision-making for family giving or introduce them to grantmaking through foundations or donor-advised funds. Invite them along on site visits to your favorite nonprofits or ones that they find interesting to learn more about. Hearing you ask questions and demonstrate family values will create a lasting impression.

Young Adults: As they gain independence, young adults can take on leadership roles in family philanthropy. Encourage them to bring fresh perspectives and even challenge existing priorities to ensure the family’s giving remains dynamic and relevant. Young adults may have a different world view—explore what they are passionate about and how you can together support the same sector even if it’s through different charitable organizations.

Why engage kids in philanthropy? The Ripple Effect of Early Engagement

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny” Muhatma Gandhi

By engaging kids in philanthropy, you are building important skills of critically thinking about their world, connecting it to action and creating life long habits of generosity. Philanthropy teaches kids to look beyond themselves, their families and their own existence. These experiences build appreciation for diverse perspectives, shed a different light on their communities and hopefully inspire collective solutions. Moreover, involving children in your philanthropic journey strengthens family bonds and cultivates a shared legacy of giving.

So, start where you are and with what you have. Whether it’s a simple act of kindness or a family foundation discussion, every step counts in nurturing the next generation of changemakers.

About Grant Philanthropic Advisors:
We’re an independent, Charleston-based firm helping clients to focus and maximize their philanthropy—in turn, strengthening the fabric of our communities. Founded in 2019, we help donors move from responsive patterns of giving by assisting clients to identify values and become more strategic in their philanthropy. Our goal is to help donors to become more effective as change-makers. Our team has a combined 100 years of experience working in the field of philanthropy.

We work with foundations (large and small staff teams), donor advised fund holders, multi generational families, individuals, philanthropy supporting organizations and corporations to design philanthropic strategies. We work with philanthropies that grant $1 million to $40 million annually. Our clients span the Southeast with a concentration in Charleston, Atlanta and Charlotte.