Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2014 | Page 70
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eco: School Fundraisers Choice
– Giving Kids a
|by Peter Kendall
Director of Earth Rangers
A sense of compassion and caring is something parents and caregivers strive to instill in
their children. One of the ways families try
to do this is by encouraging their children to
get involved in charitable giving. However,
before voting on the next fundraiser for your
school, there a number of things you should
consider.
One of the most important considerations is
that your child feels a connection with the organization or cause they are helping. Children
can be incredibly passionate and dedicated
when they find a cause that is relevant so
before choosing a charity, talk to your child
about what is important to them and help
them find an organization that aligns with
both your child’s and your family’s values.
It’s also important that kids have a say in how
they support their chosen cause. Having an
online tool that allows children to email family and friends should be one option, but children are as diverse as adults and this option
will not appeal to all kids. Other fundraising
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initiatives like bake sales, yard sales, lemonade stands, ice cream socials and even foregoing birthday presents in lieu of donations are
all ways that allow kids to take charge of their
campaign.
Creating an engaging and meaningful way
for children to participate in fundraising is
important, but when kids are spending hours
baking cookies to sell or foregoing birthday
gifts in order to make a charitable donation,
it is imperative that the charity provide children with a clear understanding of how their
contributions will be used. Outlining how the
funds will be spent up front, providing regular updates on the progress of the project and
a final update, if possible, will show children
that their contributions are truly making a
difference.
This approach inspires children to not only
get involved but to stay involved in these programs, resulting in new generations of youth
who will remain committed to philanthropy
as they get older.