Teaching philanthropy to our 8-year-old twins was more challenging than my wife and I expected.
Like most kids that age, they are very hands-on – and their attention spans can be measured in nanoseconds: we’d have a conversation about homelessness in one breath and Derek Jeter in the next. We needed a better plan.
A plan that would empower our kids to make philanthropic decisions rather than force it upon them…and it needed to be local so they could “touch” it, thereby fulfilling their longing for hands-on interaction.
After much research, we discovered The Community Foundation Serving County. To our delight, it offered exactly what we were looking for: every year, we meet with the wonderful foundation staff, each of us choosing a cause that’s important to us. My daughter cares deeply about animals so she donated her share to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley; my son was moved by stories of the poor, especially children, so we visited and donated to A Precious Child in Broomfield.
Interests and causes can change frequently when you’re a kid finding your way as a budding philanthropist. That’s why we rely on The Community Foundation when our family is looking to discover local causes that are important to us.
~Daniel Hassan, Board of Trustees, The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
Learn about establishing a donor-advised fund at The Community Foundation, or contact Margaret Katz at 303-442-0436 x103, Margaret@commfound.org.
