giving back

1. To encourage a culture of good citizenship and charitable giving

2. To work cooperatively in researching and planning a giving activity

Introduce money management as it pertains to charitable giving with the following discussion points:

What does “giving back,” mean to the students?
What do students think about volunteering? Do they view this as giving back?
What charity groups exist in your community?
Does anyone contribute individually, as a family, or otherwise to a charity?
What is a reasonable amount of money to set aside for charity? (Emphasize that any amount is reasonable!)
How do you know if a charity is legitimate?
Has anyone heard of charity scams? How might they work?

Cash for a cause

Length: 1 hour
Materials: Giving Back Student Handout, brochures and pamphlets from local charities, computer for research (optional)

In this activity, the class will collectively research and choose a charity in which to make a donation. Students will also write a personal letter to the charity indicating their reasons for the donation.
First, have students research various charities in your community and fill out the first part of the Giving Back Student Handout.
Students may want to start a Saver Sheet and make a personal donation to their selected charity but as a class you will decide on one registered/legitimate charity to donate to.
Once the charity is selected, the class will need to decide how much money to give. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of everyone giving the same set amount versus giving a percentage of each individual’s income (i.e. everyone giving a set amount may be unaffordable to some, while giving a percentage will result in everyone giving different amounts).
Have the class choose whether they would prefer to give a set amount or a percentage of their income. If it is the percentage option that the class chooses, student’s donations must be placed in a sealed envelope with their name on the front to allow for privacy regarding the donated amount. At this point the students should also write their letters to the charity indicating their reasons for donation.
The teacher may then total the final amount and submit the donation to the charity on behalf of the class/group.

Extension

Challenge students to brainstorm the following question: What would you “give up” to “give”?
Have students come up with a list of volunteer opportunities around the community and post a list in the classroom to encourage participation.

Collaborative Feedback

Address answers to the question: What would you “give up” to “give”?
What were some of the challenges when considering donating to a charity? Was the class conflicted as to which charity they wanted to choose?
How does giving back change the way students think about materialism?