Orlando Family Magazine

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Family
TECH TALK
Charity for Every
Day of the Year
W hat’s the best
way to raise
generous
kids? That question
takes on new
urgency during New
Year’s resolution
time, when families
are pondering self-
improvement acts
and goals. Some
experts argue
that kids benefit
more when they
have year-round
opportunities to
think about and
respond to needs
that resonate
with them.
One study
done by the
Philanthropy
Institute at the
University of
Indiana found
that children
were 20%
more likely to be generous givers if their
parents talked with them regularly about
the good they can do by contributing time
and money.
The best charitable projects are those
that connect with the interests of the child
as well as with the family’s resources and
values. The following websites offer a wide
variety of ways in which families can get
involved in doing good to kick off the New
Year and beyond.
Micro-giving. A number of websites
allow visitors to make tiny donations
simply by doing things that are part of
their daily routine. These websites aren’t a
substitute for other projects, but they do
create a kind of mindfulness about causes
that deserve your support. And, for kids,
they also demonstrate the cumulative
power of many people doing small good
things.
• Searching. is a
philanthropic search engine which
donates 50% of its advertising revenue
to a cause that you designate. The site
also has a Goodshop option which
allows you to donate a percentage of
your purchase to charity.
• Clicking. Care2 has an entire page filled
with sites that allow you to support
favorite causes by clicking once a day
). The sites
are supported by sponsors who make
micro-donations for each click.
• Walking. Anyone with a smartphone can
download the app at
Then, your family can choose one of the
approved charities. A corporate sponsor
will donate up to 25 cents for every mile
you walk or run and up to 10 cents for
every mile you log on your bike.
Sponsor
a child.
Children
often like the
idea of helping
another child
who is the
same age. Plan
International
forsponsors)
and Children
International
both have websites
which make it
easy to identify
a specific child
in a particular
country. Children
International
allows donations to
individuals, families,
or communities.
Plan International
encourages sponsors
to communicate
with and even visit
children.
Charitable gift cards. Several websites
will help you create donation cards. If you
give one to a child or, for that matter, other
family members, they get the satisfaction of
choosing who will receive the donation (and
you get a tax deduction). and
serve a wide range of charities.
Both charge a small service fee which
covers the creation of the card as well as the
credit card fee.
Reinvent family traditions. With a
little thought, families can make special
occasions even more meaningful by sharing
the joy. For example, if you make special
foods for a holiday, double the batch so
you can share with an elderly neighbor
or a family that’s facing hard times. For
birthdays, consider asking guests to bring
a gently used book or toy to be donated to
a local charity. Or create a birthday-in-a
box for a child who might not otherwise
By Carolyn Jabs
ORLANDO FAMILY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2016 34