The Gift of Giving: Teaching Philanthropy

Voluntary giving isn’t necessarily a natural action. From a young age, children need to be taught to share, and to learn that the act of giving has its own rewards. For many years, kids still find it much more pleasurable to receive money and gifts rather than to give them away, but eventually, most learn that doing a good turn for others can feel pretty amazing.

The U.S. has a long history of both national and global philanthropy. Students should learn that many of the institutions that they currently enjoy were made possible by charitable giving, such as zoos, museums, and libraries. Andrew Carnegie, for example, funded over 2,500 public libraries worldwide between the late 1800s and early 1900s, most of which are still in operation today. According to a recent study by the Charity Aid Foundation, the U.S. tops the list of most charitable countries, with $212 billion in charitable giving in 2011. Other regions that round out the top 10 most charitable countries include Ireland, Australia, the UK, Canada, and Thailand.

Teaching students about philanthropy extends beyond lessons in civics and history. Students also learn the human values of kindness, compassion, and responsibility – attributes that are included as significant goals in character education curricula. Although the term “philanthropy” is loaded with connotations of wealth, power, and elite social class, students need to know that philanthropy on any scale is a powerful (and empowering) thing, and that anybody can participate. Charitable giving, whether through monetary donations, volunteering, service-learning projects, or other means, is a potent act that contributes to the betterment of our society. In selecting organizations or causes to support, students should perform their own research, and make their selection(s) based on what appeals to them, and in which they feel a vested interest.

This week’s Gateway resources on philanthropy are all from Learning to Give, the curriculum arm of THE LEAGUE, a school-based system that combines lesson plans with community service events. As always, we’ll be featuring many more lessons, activities, and student philanthropy ideas daily throughout the week on our Gateway Twitter and Facebook pages, so be sure to give those a look. Also, please read Peggy’s companion column (linked below) for additional ideas on incorporating philanthropy into your classroom.

Philanthropy is “Phun”
Subjects: Civics, Sociology
Grade: K-2
The purpose of this unit is to provide first graders with a basic understanding of the concept of philanthropy. The lessons are designed to encourage students to become active participants within their school environment, thus creating many opportunities for displaying an understanding of "private action for the common good." I like the emphasis on productive citizenship in this unit, and how students can learn that, even at their young ages, they can make positive contributions to their communities.

Tulipmania: Growing Flowers to Share
Subjects: Botany, Ecology, Visual Arts, Writing, Civics, Economics, Sociology
Grade: 6-8
In this unit, learners will study plants that reproduce through corms, rhizomes and bulbs and will describe the positive effect that flowers have on people. They will analyze motivations for giving, grow potted plants and give them as gifts to local nonprofits. I like how this unit packs a hefty cross-curricular punch that addresses a lot of different subject areas in addition to philanthropy. This unit is also aligned to the Common Core.

Philanthropy at Home and Abroad
Subjects: Civics, Economics, Geography, Sociology, Biological & Life Sciences
Grade: 9-12
In this unit, students will look at philanthropy, both globally and locally. They will research perceptions about their community, look at foundations that provide international help, and study their local community foundation to see where local resources are used. They will describe reasons for giving and analyze their own motivations for philanthropy. Students will participate in a fundraiser and distribute grants to community organizations.