Faith Groups

Note: This activity is a guide for developing and carrying-out a group service project - doing philanthropy! It is important to be prepared to support and guide the youth through all phases of the project to help ensure a successful experience for all. Refer to the Center for Youth as Resources at http://www.yar.org for best practices in creating effective, youth-led service projects. Many local communities give small grants for youth-led service projects. The Center for Youth as Resources web site also has information about grant opportunities.

Age:

• 7-11

Philanthropy is:

• Sharing time, talent and treasure, and taking action for the common good.

Purpose:

• Participants will identify philanthropy and how they can contribute to a common cause through volunteering their time and talents.

Objectives:

The young person will:

• define philanthropy and their faith traditions beliefs about giving and serving.
• determine which groups or organizations might be in need of the participants’ time, talent and/or treasures, i.e. a needs assessment.
• write letters to a variety of service groups in order to assess the needs of that particular organization.
• plan and implement a group service project.

Religious Activity Theme:

 

Joshua 24:14-16 (New International Version)
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Matthew 5:16 (New King James Version)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

The facilitator explains that they will be doing a community needs assessment by writing letters, and then deciding on and completing a youth-led group community service project. The letters will be written to service organizations and will explain that the participants are looking for philanthropic roles in the community and they are attempting to determine where they might be most needed at this time.

Activity Steps:

• The facilitator asks the participants to expand on the definition of philanthropy as: sharing time, talent and treasure, and taking action for the common good. Their expanded ideas/contributions should be displayed on chart paper or poster. Ask them to list what they know about their faith traditions beliefs about giving and serving. Elaborate on what it means to give of your time, talent and treasure!
• In a fun and creative way divide the participants into groups of 3-5 and distribute paper and pens. Each group will discuss their individual available time, talents and treasures and write these down on their papers. Each group member should generate 2-4 ideas.
• Each small group should compose, write and mail a letter to a selected organization explaining their abilities and available time, and asking how they might be of service. Letters can be written to: senior centers, humane societies, environmental groups, social service agencies such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill, the volunteer coordinator of the local municipality, or any local organization. Local organizations can be found by looking under “Social Service Organizations” or “Human Service Organizations” in the yellow pages of the phone book. The facilitator might want to have a sample letter prepared for guidance. An alternative to writing letters would be for a member of the group to phone or e-mail the selected organization to gather the information. An introduction and set of questions could be brainstormed by the whole group for the callers to use.
• After the information has been collected. The small groups present the information to the whole group about the organization they contacted, including the needs that were identified and any opportunities for service.
• As a whole group decide on one or two organization with which to work, being careful to match the group's talents, time, and interests to the opportunity for service.
• They can then pick a project to do in the community, following the steps outlined below:
  • Contact the organization they decided upon and agree upon the service they will do, and the timeframe in which it will be completed.
  • Plan the project particulars: when, how extensive or simple, etc.
  • Assign a variety of meaningful roles. Everyone should have a role.
  • Determine what other groups in the faith community you might recruit to participate in the selected project(s).
  • Gather necessary materials.
  • Implement the project.
  • After the project, hold a reflection session where the volunteers consider what the challenges were and what worked well. Also reflect on the effort the volunteers put forth and the differences they made.
  • Celebrate a job well done! This can be simple, a certificate recognizing the volunteer's accomplishment, or it could be a presentation to parents and community members of the project, or a large media event.

Processing Questions:

1. What did you learn from the Needs Assessment? What was the most challenging part of the process? Why is doing the Needs Assessment essential to meaningful help?
2. How did it feel to have to narrow down the options of who and how you were going to help?
3. Did everyone have important roles to play? Was everyone included? If, not, how can that be improved in the future? And if so, how did you make that happen?
4. What differences were you able to make?
5. How can you build on your project?
6. Would you like to do another project?
7. What was the hardest part of your project?
8. What would you recommend to others about doing a service project?
9. Did you feel that you had a voice in planning the project? Describe how.
10. How do you think your individual and special talents helped your success?
11. Is it important in our faith tradition that we serve God by serving others?
    Additional Questions – Christian Perspective
12. Why does your light shine among men when you serve others?
    

Variation:

Join with a partnering youth group to do a youth-led community service project. You will meet new people, share resources and have fun!

Supplemental Activity:

Suggest to your family and/or other important adults in your life that you plan and complete a community project together.

Activity Source:

Community Partnerships with Youth Inc
Who Can We Help?
Youth as Philanthropists

Additional Resources:

Value of Life-long Philanthropy

Learning to Give Lesson (3-5) “Why Should I Do Philanthropy?”

Unit “Philanthropy in Michigan”

Check It Out! Assessment Scavenger Hunt
Community Partnerships with Youth Inc
Youth as Philanthropist Curriculum

New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Philanthropy Theme Framework :

Strand Standard Benchmark PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy E 1. Define philanthropy as the giving and sharing of time, talent, or treasure intended for the common good. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 02. Roles of Government, Business, and Philanthropy E 5. Recognize that volunteering requires freedom of choice. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 04. Operational Characteristics of Nonprofit Organizations E 1. Describe how citizens organize in response to a need. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 04. Operational Characteristics of Nonprofit Organizations E 3. Describe how a volunteer youth club in the community operates. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS05. Philanthropy and Government E 9. Describe how philanthropic activities can bring about social change. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS07. Skills of Civic Engagement E 1. Explore and research school and community issues and problems and orally present how one individual or group can make a difference via a persuasive speech or oral report. PHIL II. Philanthropy and Civil Society PCS07. Skills of Civic Engagement E 2. Discuss an issue affecting the common good in the classroom or school and demonstrate respect and courtesy for differing opinions. Clearly state the issue and possible solutions from at least one of the four sectors (government, business, nonprofit, or family). PHIL III. Philanthropy and the Individual PI 01. Reasons for Individual Philanthropy E 5. Give examples of actions students can take to improve the common good and list or describe responsibilities that go with those actions. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 01. Needs Assessment E 1. Identify a community need in the school or neighborhood. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 01. Needs Assessment E 2. Research the need in the school or neighborhood. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 02. Service and Learning E 1. Select the service project based on interests, abilities, and research. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 03. Providing Service E 1. Provide a needed service for students in the school, or citizens in the neighborhood. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 05. Integrating the Service Experience into Learning E 2. Evaluate progress on the Service-Learning project before, during, and after the project. PHIL IV. Volunteering and Service VS 05. Integrating the Service Experience into Learning E 3. Identify outcomes from the service.