Expert-Backed Ways to Teach Kids about Philanthropy
We want our children to become kind, ethical, responsible, upstanding citizens. As parents, guardians and adults, we’re responsible for teaching and mirroring positive social behaviors to our kids. But as many of us become aware of, rethink and recommit our time to important social causes across the world, we may need guidance on how to teach our children the rules of philanthropy.
These expert-backed tips can teach kids and even ourselves how to approach charitable giving:
Charity Becomes a Developmental Milestone
From the onset, it’s important to teach our children the fundamentals of charity. According to Aaron Hanson, Director of Development at Shriners for Children Medical Center, it's a development milestone to put yourself before others. It’s significant because it predicts an attitude of great generosity, positivity and perseverance later in life. If we can shift our mindsets to nurture generosity as a skill set in our children, they can use these skills as they grow up to inform how they give back to their community and world at large.
Use Positive Reinforcements to Cultivate Kindness
Charity comes with the reinforcement of feeling good from acting in a kind way. Some studies show that giving promotes happiness, especially in young children. Hanson includes that it’s important that adults encourage this feeling because it’s an integral aspect of the cognitive-behavioral connection that kids need to stay healthy. When a child does something kind for someone else, ask them how they feel afterward. Adults might also want to consider talking about how they feel when they do something nice for other people.
Visit a Nonprofit to Teach Charity
Some charities offer tours so people can learn about what they do. It serves as an educational opportunity for everyone. Many nonprofit organizations are happy to organize a visit for donors and potential donors. Kids will often remember these visits at a young age as it expands their minds and opens them up to the possibility of charity when learning about new missions and initiatives.
Take a Visual Approach to Charity
Introducing and visibility showcasing the benefits of charity and a specific mission can help develop a sense of knowledge and empowerment in kids. If you can’t visit a nonprofit in person, visually show them the impacts of charity. Showing a child a photo of cleft palate can easily impact them because every child can understand the before/after photos. In some ways, it’s easier for them to grasp because cancer research, for example, can’t easily be shown through visuals. However, It’s also important to show or tell them personal stories of how charitable impact has helped specific communities thrive. The charity you follow might have visual resources of their own to share. Remember, no one expects you to become an expert on philanthropy overnight. So check out to see if your charity of choice also offers educational resources to help get young children involved.
Teach Empathy through Volunteer Work
Instilling a volunteer mindset into our children from an early age is an essential part of learning about empathy and charitable giving. It’s important to recognize that it takes more than financial contribution to properly give back to a community. Volunteer time and leadership are also contributing factors to remember. When helping kids decide where to volunteer their time and effort, adults might want to ask these questions:
What are the current needs of the community?
Which of these needs feels most urgent to you?
What do they need to do to make that impact?
How will the endeavor be supported/funded if money is needed to make it happen?
If adults demonstrate positive charitable behaviors, children will often easily pick up and learn from them. We should empower our kids and acknowledge their very real ability to make a lasting impact on the world around them and that kindness matters. As we stay active and help give our children charitable experiences, we can help build a better foundation for their future and that of the communities we seek to serve.