Sometimes, opportunities to give are not totally obvious. We talk a lot about giving financially. And we hear about opportunities to volunteer all the time. But what other ways can we help others? What else can we share?

How about our talent?

In addition to money and time, nonprofits have specific needs that others can help them with by providing expertise. Children’s ‘expertise’ and interests might change as often as the seasons, but we can help our kids find opportunities to use their talent for the good of others. For many, this form of giving can be extremely rewarding because we’re not only helping those that we care about, we are using our personal skills to do it. More

If you’re looking for a way to infuse giving into your family’s culture, consider committing as a group to a Monthly Family Give. You can sit down now and plan out the year or decide on your ‘give’ from month to month, just be sure that once you make the commitment you follow through. Before you know it, helping others in your community will become second nature!

Here are a few ways your family can come together once a month to help others and get involved in your community: More

Regardless of the size of your donation, giving requires some element of planning and introducing our children to the concept of Making a Pledge is a great way to start. And it’s easy.

What is a Pledge?

A pledge is simply a promise. When we make a financial pledge, we are promising an institution that we care about that we will provide a certain amount of money over a certain amount of time. Obviously this can be set up in different ways, but for the purpose of this exercise with your children, let’s make it a once-a-month donation for one year.

Here’s how you can approach it with them. More

Have you ever been part of a book club? You read the book and then get together with some others to reflect. If you haven’t been to a book club, you’ve probably been to a movie with a group and had a discussion about the storyline after viewing. Were you surprised by the different experiences other readers/viewers had? Maybe they noticed details you hadn’t or important character traits that you dismissed. Perhaps they picked-up on themes or morals that you didn’t. Maybe you didn’t get it at all, but someone explained the plot or theme in a way that made it clear. More

Perhaps you can relate to these statements:

• “When I was a kid, we didn’t have DVR … we didn’t even have a VCR. A Charlie Brown Christmas came on once a year and it was a momentous occasion we waited for … and didn’t miss.”
• “iPhone? We had ONE phone in our house when I was growing up. It was in the kitchen and had a cord that was three feet long.”  Some of us might even be able to refer to a rotary dial.
• “Laptop computer? My papers were typed on a typewriter. There was one girl in college that had a Brother word processor and that was cutting edge.”

Life has changed significantly in a short period of time – even just a few short years. Technology is improving at light speed and in this ‘On Demand’ world, we’re becoming more and more accustomed to getting whatever we want, when we want it. While getting what we want quickly is lovely, our children will learn at some point that the world doesn’t always work that way. In teaching them lessons in financial planning and delaying that which we desire to have or accomplish, we can truly make life easier for them and set a strong foundation for financial viability.   More

For whatever reason, we have a tendency to judge those who are less fortunate or different in some way. And as our society struggles with bullying, we are more and more aware that this starts at an early age.

Fortunately as parents and mentors we have opportunity to influence our children’s ‘compassion meters’ and there are numerous ways we can do this. Not only will they be better for it, but the world will be a sweeter place. Here are some tips and ideas:

1. Point out examples. There are acts of compassion everywhere. Be sure your kids notice! You might see it on TV, in a book or in person. Or maybe someone you know has done something kind for someone else. Tell your children about it.
2. Nip potential false impressions in the bud. All homeless people are not alcoholics. Children whose parents are unable to care for them are just as deserving as we are. Every drug addict is not a bad person. Kids with special needs are not less worthy of our friendship. Feel free to guide your children as they’re formulating their opinions of others. More

So you’re looking for a way to pull your family together for some meaningful quality time. What next? Here are some tips and ideas to help you and your kids get the most out of your volunteer efforts.

1. Plan as a family

We know from research that including children in the conversation – the rhyme behind the reason – of our philanthropic efforts helps them understand why it’s important to us and gets them thinking about what is important to them and why. Explain why you feel it’s important that you volunteer as a family and the impact that it can have on our lives and the lives of others. More

No doubt, everyone is really busy. Especially if you have kids. Many parents struggle just to pull everyone together for dinner in the evening and it seems the older kids get the more directions they go on the weekends.

If you’re looking for a fun and meaningful way to bring your family together for some good quality time, consider volunteering together. Coming together as a family to help others will not only provide an opportunity for you to spend time together, but it will reinforce family values and allow your children to see firsthand what a difference you can make, an empowering lesson for kids. We know the influence family has on kids and by volunteering together, your children will be inspired by seeing you and other role models help others. More

“…There is something about a shared meal–not some holiday blowout, not once in a while but regularly, reliably–that anchors a family even on nights when the food is fast and the talk cheap and everyone has someplace else they’d rather be. And on those evenings when the mood is right and the family lingers, caught up in an idea or an argument explored in a shared safe place where no one is stupid or shy or ashamed, you get a glimpse of the power of this habit.” — Michael Elins

The magic of the family dinner. Social scientists have championed it as the answer to your family’s problems for the last thirty years, publishing study after study on the positive impact of family dinners on child development. You know this. We know this. But in today’s busy world, it’s become increasingly harder to corral your family around the kitchen table. Or, if you do gather everyone, it might just be one more thing on your list—hurried through. More

TAG Question of the Week

We work hard to help our children realize their talents. We look for their abilities and help them find ways to use and apply them – socially, in education, in future careers. We sign them up for group activities; push them in their studies and nurture hobbies and activities that will build their self esteem. They should be proud of their talent, so we celebrate it.

What about our families? More