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Family

Charity is essential. When society is giving to a credible charity, we contribute to making lives better. As a community, we possess the ability to put our money and time to work for good. We increase opportunities for healthcare, education, safety, and so much more. According to a report from Giving USA, Americans donated $471.44 billion in 2020. Contributing to the issues you care about benefits the charities themselves but can also be deeply rewarding for you. So why not share that experience with your family? 

Including your children, spouse, or relatives in your philanthropic endeavors can be just as rewarding as any other family activity. Giving as a family is a fantastic way to improve family connections, share values, and offer long-term goals among your family members. Including your children at an early age helps them develop a sense of responsibility and demonstrates that they can make positive changes.

Building a foundation of charitable giving with your family can be awkward. Donors must take time to be clear about what issues and values motivate their giving. That, in turn, will inspire your family members to join. The process of getting your relatives involved and engaged does not have to be complicated. Here are tips to get started:

1. Have Family Members Voice Their Giving Goals: Ask each member to express their giving priorities in writing, and verify the timing, amount, and charity method they would like the group to consider.

2. Create a Family Mission Statement: Discuss family members’ statements, looking for common goals and priorities. Incorporate top goals into a charitable mission for your family as a whole.

3. Decide Where to Give: Begin to choose where and when to give and set guidelines for making these decisions.

4. Choose a Giving Vehicle. Examine what level of involvement each family member would like to have in the giving process. Choose a vehicle that allows individuals to be as active in the charitable process as they want.

5. Evaluate Your Impact: Make time to review the impact of your family giving strategy. Dedicating even a small portion of time at family events or holidays to this activity will allow you to enjoy together the fruit of your giving.