Many nonprofit organizations are concerned about winning over the hearts of a new, younger generation of donors and instilling in them a sense of altruism and benevolence that will last a lifetime.
But not all of these organizations are doing what Children’s Hospital Boston is doing, going to great lengths to help parents introduce their children to the joy of giving and the satisfaction of making a difference with a brilliant, new family philanthropy program called 26 Steps.
Named in memory of Katie Lynch, a lifelong Children’s patient who undertook an enormous physical challenge – walking 26 feet at the 2001 Boston Marathon – to raise money for the hospital she loved, 26 Steps promises to provide tools for the next generation of philanthropists, helping young people develop habits of independence, kindness and responsibility.
According to the hospital’s Fall 2005 newsletter, “Children learn to love something when parents share their own pleasure in the activity, but many adults who give to charitable organizations don’t explain to their children why they give and how kids can, too.”
Frankly, this is one reason why I’m running the Boston Marathon for Children’s Hospital again. The experience gives me the opportunity to teach my two sons, Scott (9) and Ben (6), how important it is to “give back” as much as possible and to help those who are less fortunate. It may be entertaining for them to watch their father train for and participate in the marathon…but to know that I’m doing it to raise money, not just for my own pleasure, is educational. It’s a dramatic, long-running (no pun intended) lesson in philanthropy.
This is me and my Children’s Hospital Boston patient partner, Hailey, the day before I ran the Boston Marathon last spring.
For more information about 26 Steps (including age-appropriate children’s philanthropy stories, ideas, tips, book lists, games and more), click here.
To “sponsor” my participation in the 2006 Boston Marathon on behalf of Children’s Hospital Boston, go to www.chtrust.org/bostonmarathon; click on “Give Online” underneath “Sponsor a Runner” on the right-hand side of the screen; enter my name and/or my Profile ID (CB0022) in the “Search for a Runner to Sponsor” fields; click on my name (Bob Cargill) under Search Results and donate. It’s easy to do. And I’ll be grateful for your support.
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