The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people out of our comfort zones, keeping us home to face our fears, our values, our family members, and what matters most in life. If you are parent, grandparent, or caregiver with children at home, you have been working hard to keep your family healthy, while striving to find a new routine for your kids—creating space for school, work, and family life all under one roof. It requires a level of flexibility, patience, and compassion that we, as parents and as people, may have never had to exercise before.
As you look for ways to keep children engaged and hopeful at home, you may wonder how to use this time as a teaching moment—one in which you can share your values of generosity and gratitude. Family philanthropists already know: Giving as a family is a profound way to learn together and turn your concerns into action—and can be done even when limited by social distancing and shelter-in-place. If you haven’t yet taught your youngest next-gen about giving, the time is ripe to do so.
You might ask: Yes, but where to start? How can we help others while keeping ourselves safe?
We have created 12 Ways to Give While Social Distancing: A Do-It-At-Home Philanthropy Kit for Kids and Families. This FREE kit contains inspiring ideas and activities for kids, and is meant to start the conversation about what each of us can do to help from home. We designed the kit for kids ages 5-12, however, kids and adults of any age can find useful ideas to take action. The first part provides 12 ideas for how you and your kids can give and help others without leaving your house or neighborhood. The second part is a mini-lesson on philanthropy and the different ways to give over the long-term to causes you care about, once we can gather and be in community again.
Read this kit together with your kids, or encourage young readers to read aloud to you. If you have a small group of other parents and kids in your network, consider reading it together via online video, and decide as a group how you would like to contribute to your community during COVID-19.
While it may feel like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders (especially after watching the nightly news or worrying about the health of those you love), here is one way to transform this challenging time into something positive, and do what you can in your community.
We are at a moment when bringing our values, vision, and family legacy to life has never been more needed.
If you and your family are healthy and at home, and the bustling of daily life has slowed, look for the silver linings: extra time as a family, appreciation for all you have, and opportunities to show up and help others where you can. We hope this philanthropy kit will help.
Visit SocialDistanceGiving.com to download the FREE kit, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Share photos, videos, and stories of what you’re doing in your community to help during COVID-19, using hashtag #SocialDistanceGiving #HowWeHelp.
Suzanne and Elaine
Hammer & Associates: Suzanne Hammer is a global philanthropy advisor helping family philanthropists’ pair their philanthropic passion with a meaningful strategy for 15 years.
PhilanthroComm: Elaine Gast Fawcett is a philanthropy advisor, communications strategist, and storyteller with 20 years serving family foundations, nonprofits, and grantmaker associations.