Start with a Story

When you’re together with your family this summer, take a few moments to share a story about when you first learned the importance of giving. Perhaps you remember your family dropping coins in a tzedakah box on Friday nights, or maybe a meaningful volunteer experience shaped your view of helping others.

Invite your children or grandchildren to share what’s important to them, too. You might be surprised at what matters most to them and the values they already hold close.

Involve Them in the Process

Consider asking your children to choose an organization to support with money from your family’s tzedakah box, or to participate in a volunteer opportunity with you. Talk with them about the charitable gifts you’ve made this year and why you chose those organizations. Use the time you spend together this summer to ask questions that invite discussion:

What’s your favorite organization and why?
If you could solve any problem, what would it be?
If you had $1 million to give away, how would you do it?

For families with a donor advised fund at The Associated, consider using it as a tool to involve the next generation in philanthropic decision making. Ask them to help you choose where to recommend grants. Or, sit down and ask them to identify a problem they want to fix. For younger children, offer a few choices, such as donating to an organization that provides school supplies for underprivileged children or to one that offers camp scholarships. Let them lead the giving and they’ll feel more connected.

I know life is busy and full of competing priorities. Making time for these conversations and inviting your children and grandchildren to take part in your family’s philanthropy can have an impact that lasts far beyond the summer.

If you would like more ideas, please contact Lauren Klein, Vice President of Funds & Foundations who specializes in helping families designs strategies for meaningful engagement. Lauren can be reached at 410-369-9278 or lklein@associated.org.