The Philanthropic Family

For parents who want to introduce the concept of philanthropy to their kids, a subscription to The Chronicle of Philanthropy may not be exactly age-appropriate.  And many of us have mixed feelings about buying products with some cause-marketing tie-in, wanting to support causes we care about but not wanting to send the message that consumerism is the answer to these problems. 

One charity is giving parents a new option to reinforce concepts like empathy and the need to help others, concepts which become the basis for grown-up philanthropy.  According to this press release:

“Today Children’s Hospital Boston launches Generation Cures (www.generationcures.org), a web-based philanthropic community designed for tweens (ages 8-12) and their parents to raise financial support for pediatric medical research. Through fun game play and digital entertainment, this first-of-its-kind site inspires kids to care about others, understand the concept of giving and believe they can make a difference in the world. Along the way, kids learn about science and medicine and strengthen their skills of logic, reason, critical thinking and creativity.”

How Does this Raise Money for the Charity?

Clearly, the intention isn’t just to give kids something to do after school, and it’s also not merely sowing seeds for gifts twenty years from now when those kids grow up. Rather, the logic goes something like this: The more kids and parents engage and learn about pediatric illnesses and the work of Children’s Hospital Boston, the more the family will be inclined to direct some of their charitable giving to the hospital.  According to their press release, “the hospital hopes that parents, relatives, friends and corporations inspired by the site will support Children’s Hospital Boston’s world-changing research efforts by making financial gifts to Generation Cures.”

Lesson Learned

Since the site just launched today, it may be premature to label it a success, but I do think that this charity is ahead of the curve in responding to the growing trend of people trying to live their values and engage their children in philanthropic pursuits from an early age.  My work with family foundations has demonstrated over and over that engaging the next generation is the number one concern for parents, whether those parents are 70 or 30.  We all care about raising charitable children–it’s the reason I started this blog in the first place.

Tapping into this trend by giving parents tools that help them accomplish their goals (engaging their children) while drawing them closer to your charity and providing greater loyalty and a sense of community–seems like a home run to me. 

Parents of tweens, what do you think?  I’m very interested in whether you find it useful, entertaining, whether your kids find it engaging, and whether it motivates you to give to the hospital. Please share your thoughts and experiences!