The Joy of Family Giving

Cozi has partnered with Education & Hope to inspire true giving this holiday season. Education and Hope is founded on the belief that education is a fundamental human right, and that all the world’s children deserve the chance to be educated.

We are a charitable nation. In the U.S., eighty-nine percent of households give and together we gave over 300 billion dollars in 2008. Even the poorest among us give to charity. Indeed, those making the least amount of money donate a greater percentage of personal income than any other income bracket.

Do you have plans to give back this holiday season? While helping those less fortunate is a basic value for many, your family might be stumped about how to donate or what cause to support. That’s understandable. The number of charities and people in need can be overwhelming.

Take the opportunity this holiday season to make a plan to give back. The benefits of donating go way beyond supporting the needy. Children learn the importance of giving and get a sense of how the needs of others compare to their own lot in life. For certain charities, very small amounts of money can make a huge difference in the lives or others. And, we all know that giving just feels good.

A first step is to sit down with the family and talk about what type of charity you would like to support:

Religious organizations
Combined purposes charities like United Way
Helping others meet basic needs
Health
Education
Arts
Your own school or church
Veteran’s organizations

Next, research things like how much of your donation supports the mission of the charity versus operating costs and how much of your money goes to the actual needs of others. Finally, take action and enjoy the true spirit of giving.

For more ideas, visit:

10 Ways to Start a Tradition of Giving

Five Ways to Give Back This Season

Education and Hope

Reference: National Philanthropic Trust, http://www.nptrust.org/philanthropy/philanthropy_stats.asp