Philanthropy comes from the Greek word philanthrōpos, meaning the “love of humanity”. A philanthropist gives of themselves for the good of others. This is not just about money – but about using your brain, eyes, voice, ears, hands, and muscles to help others.
This spring, kids from over 75 schools demonstrated their innate capacity to be philanthropic as part of the Kids for Kids Fund program. By reflecting on their own stories, imagining what other kids are going through, and thinking about how to make life better for others, they expressed their natural instincts to care for others. The programs culminated in groups of kids deliberating (using their brains, voices, and ears!) how to give $1,000 to a local, kid-serving non-profit.
Then, at Kids for Kids Celebration events across Maryland, Missouri, and Virginia, children presented over $70,000 in grants to non-profit representatives in front of families and community leaders. These events were supported by 53 talented TGS volunteers and fueled by 545 pizzas.
Want to see what this program looks like in action? Check out this video!
The Giving Square in the news
- The Non-Profit Quarterly article featuring The Giving Square, “How do we break out of pity: Reframing Children as Philanthropic Citizens”.
- The latest Harvard’s Good Insights Podcast, “Transforming Youth Philanthropy”, features Executive Director Amy Neugebauer.
- Amy Neugebauer co-wrote Chapter 6 of Alison Body’s new book, “Children as Change Makers: Unleashing Children’s Real Philanthropic Power.”
- The Giving Square was referenced in, “In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.” Thank you Michael Layton!
- Our latest blogpost “Making Philanthropy Inclusive and Equitable Starts with Kids,” was published by Giving Compass.
- The Giving Square was highlighted in, “Raising Philanthropic Children: Moving Beyond Virtuous Philanthropy, Towards Transformative Giving and Empowered Citizenship,” published by Alison Body out of the University of Kent.
Our work would not be possible without the generous support of the Rothschild Foundations, The Serimus Foundation, Kettering Family Philanthropies, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Maryland Humanities, individual donors, school partners, our Team, our Partners, The Giving Square Network (above), and you!