GeekGirlCon Kids and Philanthropy
“Mom, why do you have to help GeekGirlCon raise money?”
This question was asked by my nine year old daughter as I shepherded her out the door on the way to GeekGirlCon’s first ever fundraiser last month.
“Well, GeekGirlCon is a non-profit – that means no one person benefits from any money we make. We have to take all the money that people give us and put it back to work. When we want to do more, we need to raise more. That’s why we are having this fundraiser.”
I hadn’t intended for the fundraiser to be a teaching moment, but her questions made me realize that teaching our kids about why we give was an important discussion to have. Philanthropy, whether it be financial or through volunteerism, is important to my husband and me, so it makes sense that we would teach those values to our kids as well. But where to begin?
First, identify a charitable organization whose mission resonates with your child. For an animal lover, this may be a local animal shelter, humane society, or wildlife refuge. Have a video game obsessed kid? Charities like Child’s Play provide entertainment to kids in hospitals, and AbleGamers aims to improve quality of life of those with disabilities through gaming. Have a voracious reader? Milk and Bookies helps get kids involved in collecting and distributing books to under-served communities, and Project Night Night creates bedtime packages (a book, a blanket, a stuffed animal and a bag) for homeless children. Have a different passion? Do a keyword search for it, plus the word “charity.” We found Lego charities, Minecraft charities, and comic book charities — there really is something out there for everyone.
Once your child has chosen their ideal organization, they can begin planning their financial donation or how they will volunteer their time. In our family whenever money is gifted or earned, we have the kids split it up. They are able to spend 80% of the money on whatever they want, 10% of the money gets put into a savings account, and the other 10% goes to a non-profit. My kids also set a financial threshold for when they will make their donation. This may be a flat dollar amount, or it may be the amount needed to buy 10 families meals, or to donate 10 books. Once my son took the money he had been saving and bought toys to donate to Toys for Tots. That became an extra learning experience as he tried to pick toys that would appeal to a variety of kids and fit his budget. When you set goals,the kids are actually excited to give their money.
Help your child get creative with their volunteerism! A nine year old may be too young to volunteer at the animal shelter, but they could organize a pet food drive. Our family recently attended a birthday party where the birthday girl asked for donations of toys for kids in need in lieu of gifts for herself. Organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand offer support and kits to kids who want to create a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds. Many homeless shelters and food banks will allow families to volunteer together –just call and ask.
In Seattle, we have a special opportunity to make a financial impact. The Seattle Foundation sponsors GiveBIG, an annual day of giving where a percentage of your donations are matched! It’s a joyous day of celebrating our city’s hard-working non-profits, and this year GeekGirlCon is participating for the first time! You (and your kids!) can schedule a donation at the GeekGirlCon GiveBIG page, and come to our annual convention on October 8 and 9 to see the impact of your donation.
