With the holiday season around the corner, many moms are looking for ways their family can give back. But it’s not always easy to get the little ones involved: they can’t exactly write a check and they’re often too young to volunteer. But this year, there’s an easy way to teach the kiddos about giving back. It’s called KidsforColoradoGives.org.
This new website was built just for kids and was based off the popular ColoradoGives.org, which has been connecting Coloradoans with nonprofits for nine years. With KidsforColoradoGives.org, kids choose what they care about, whether that’s animals, the environment, health or education. From there, they get connected with hundreds of Colorado charities that support it! They can even search by their city to find nonprofits that are helping in their neighborhood.
The site provides parents and kids with resources on responsible giving and was officially launched on September 15 with the Kids for ColoradoGives Kick-Off at the Denver School of Arts. The program was introduced to the school’s 6th and 7th graders by Lieutenant Governor Donna Lynne and student ambassador Allison Winn, who founded the Stink Bug Project when she was just 9 years old. Each student was invited to experience the joy of giving with donation dollars in the amount of $10 from FirstBank and boy, did they give! Those students have since donated $2,290 to Colorado nonprofits.
After all, kids might stumble over the phrase ‘tax-deductible donation’, but they know how good it feels to help others. While kids can give back all year-round through KidsforColoradoGives.org, they can also join hundreds of others in making a difference on Colorado Gives Day, December 6. Colorado Gives Day is the state’s largest annual giving movement and both kids and adults can schedule donations in advance. Last year, more than $28 million was donated to nearly 2,000 nonprofits on this single day!
You may be thinking, “This is great, but my kids don’t make money. How are they supposed to give?” Good question. Your kid won’t have control of your credit card – instead, kids donate online using Giving e-Cards, which adults can purchase on KidsforColoradoGives.org in any amount from $10 to $99,999. These Giving e-Cards make wonderful holiday gifts or stocking stuffers, could be exchanged for chores, or even bought with the earnings from your kid’s latest lemonade stand.
And that’s it! Introducing your kids to charitable giving has never been easier than with KidsforColoradoGives.org. It’s a great way for the whole family to learn about the people helping in your community and give back – together.
Author: Mile High Mamas
Jennifer Egbert
What a clever concept. Hopefully, it will gain some traction over the holidays that will sustain these efforts throughout the year!