The Examiner
Philanthropy is not innate. We are not born with it, and children do not wake up one day and choose to be charitable any more than they wake up and decide to eat their green, leafy vegetables without complaint. Philanthropy is learned by modeling the charitable behavior of the caring adults in their lives, learning why it’s important to give back.
The concept of youth philanthropy has really taken hold in the nonprofit sector since the early discussions of the concept in the late ‘80s. As children move into their teen years, they begin to develop a sense of society, social justice and self-purpose. They recognize they have a role to play in their community and understand they can have meaningful participation and impact. And when young people get involved with community service and giving at an early age, they tend to continue those charitable behaviors into adulthood. (Source: Kathryn A. Agard, “Learning to Give: Teaching Philanthropy K-12.” New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 2002.)