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Philanthropist is a big word, but you don't need big money to be one. You just need a big heart—and most teenagers have that. According to Do Something, a national organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering young people to be leaders in their communities, 73 percent of America's young people believe they can help make their communities better places to live.
And they want to. But, as with so many other things, caring adults—parents, teachers, youth leaders and mentors— are the vital link to helping teens learn how to do that. Here are some strategies you can use to teach teens about giving:
Put them in the know
Talk to teens directly about philanthropy and help them understand that it is not only about giving money but also includes giving time and talent to those who need it. The word philanthropy comes from two Greek roots: philein (to love) and anthropos (man). Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy defines it as "voluntary action for the public good that can be expressed as voluntary giving, voluntary service and/or voluntary association to help others live a better life." When you talk to teens about giving you can help them explore their talents and how they might use them in service to others.
Show, don't tell
Your actions speak louder than words when it comes to forming teens' attitudes. Model giving behavior by volunteering yourself and taking a teen along with you. There is an old proverb that says, "Tell me, I'll forget; show me, I may remember; involve me, I'll understand." No doubt, there are abundant giving opportunities you can take advantage of with teens right in your own community. They might include volunteering at a church or a soup kitchen, doing yard work for an elderly or sick neighbor, organizing a food drive, working at a battered woman's shelter or cleaning up a local roadside or park. It may be a short, one-time commitment or a longer, ongoing one.
A two-year study done by Do Something found that many more young people would become involved in their communities if teachers, coaches, friends and family helped them learn about the possibilities for getting involved. In fact, the study reported that "young people who learn about community-based organizations directly from someone they know are three times as likely as other young people to volunteer."
Make teens aware of their capacity and ability to give.
Negative situations can be turned into positive action. Teens probably not only have the skills to do that with the right direction and encouragement from you, but they also have the enthusiasm, energy and idealism to make a difference.
In September 1995, when 16 year old Christy Sanderson was watching television coverage of the hurricane-damaged Virgin Islands with her mother, she saw a five year old boy sifting through the rubble, looking for a toy. When he found a damaged toy truck, his smile inspired Christy to bring a smile to the faces of other children whose lives had been disrupted by disaster. With the help of her mother, she collected more than 6,000 toys, books and games and arranged to ship them to the Caribbean islands.
After that, again with the help of her mother, Christy founded Operation Toy Box, a tax-exempt, nonprofit corporation. To date, Operation Toy Box has grown to an organization with a seven- member board of directors and has collected more than 50,000 toys to distribute to young disaster victims throughout the country. That includes 8,200 toys went to flood victims in North Dakota and Minnesota in 1997 and 9,835 toys to Orlando, Florida in 1999 when six tornadoes struck there.
By teaching teens about giving, you teach them about living. They learn:
* Decision-making and problem-solving skills.
* Self-discipline to achieve goals.
* Respect and empathy for others.
* How to maximize the use of their time and talents.
* To work cooperatively with and for others.
* Awareness of problems in their community.
* Leadership skills.
* What it means to be responsible and dependable.
* To trust and believe in themselves.
* A sense of belonging.
Teens who practice philanthropy by giving their time and talents to others enjoy the boomerang effect that it has. When they throw something good out, something good comes back.
But the benefits of philanthropic action hold more than just personal benefits for teens. It promises social benefits for all. Philanthropy lays the foundation for engaging teens in civic and social activism for the rest of their lives. In addition to leading to positive social changes, philanthropic action teaches teens to set aside their self-interest for the benefit of others. It cultivates a commitment to community that prepares them to carry on the democratic tradition of private citizens working for the common good.
As a significant adult in young person's lives, the lessons you give teens about giving may be just the spark that ignites their enthusiasm and potential for productive and meaningful community involvement and participation. Increasing their participation in giving activities will increase their self-esteem and satisfaction with themselves and it will expand a culture of giving to make this a better world for all of us.
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