Most likely you should start now. Your children or grandchildren, as young as three years old, have started learning to share. Charity is another form of sharing.
As Bruce DeBoskey recently pointed out,
“Even three-year-olds can be encouraged to select and donate gently used items like clothes, books and toys to children with less. When they assist in delivering these items, they will see how their donations actually help others.”
Sharing age-appropriate giving experiences with children or grandchildren is sharing a beautiful and joyful experience with them. You’re teaching them what makes you happy and fulfilled. You’re also leaving them with a legacy of what will make them happy and fulfilled too.
As children get older, pre-teen or teen, they increase their capacity for giving and understanding. Their charitable opportunities also increase. Volunteering opportunities can develop greater empathy. Having a greater say in family giving – both choosing charities and choosing amounts – offer an important next step in their development.
Pre-teen and teen children can better appreciate what they have through charity. They learn more about what others, not always as fortunate, have too.
Through charitable giving teens can develop social skills, business skills and greater capacity for judgment. Consider opening a charitable account with teen children or grandchildren. Charitable accounts like donor-advised funds, supervised by a parent or guardian, offer further opportunities for growth and greater responsibility.
As children become adults they may have particular interests in philanthropy. Pursuing charitable interests can develop lifelong connections and skills. They also offer opportunities for family members to connect and share common values.
Charitable giving offers happiness, fulfillment and a joyful way to connect with the world. It’s never too early to start sharing charitable experiences with your children and grandchildren. Charitable giving can offer children happiness and fulfillment – and that’s the foundation of a great family legacy.
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Andrew Hibel serves as President and is the Founder of The Advise Us Fund. He is also Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of HigherEdJobs. Andrew holds a B.A. in Economics and a M.Ed. from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from Indiana University, Indianapolis. He has been a planned giving officer for Penn State University and Advocate Charitable Foundation and served as Director of Gift Planning and Estate Administration for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
The information in this blog post is general and educational. It is not intended nor should it be construed as legal, tax, investing or financial advice. Individuals should consult with their own advisor about charitable giving arrangements The Advise Us Fund® may describe.
