Charities for Kids Who Want to Give Back (or Need to Learn How!)

Teaching your children the value of giving back will enrich them for the rest of their lives. Several charitable organizations offer youth or family programs to help instill the volunteer spirit at a young age; here are are some of our favorites:

Compassionate Kids

Compassionate Kids

Geared to younger children, this non-profit organization focuses on three main areas of concern—the Earth, People and Animals—to instill a basic and deep-rooted sense of caring and compassion from a very early age. Founded in 2004 by Kelly Palmatier, a Georgia-based mom whose first community initiative was a canned food drive at a local food bank, Compassionate Kids has grown into an international resource with members on six continents. Through a vast array of articles, book reviews, activities, volunteering, field trips and community-related events posted on the website, parents and children can learn about recycling, conserving energy and eco-friendly products, respect and acceptance of race, religion and discrimination, and animal welfare, among many other pressing issues.www.compassionatekids.com | Phone: +1 678 447 4269
P.O. Box 329 | Sunny Side, GA 30284 United States

Doing Good Together

As the name suggests, the Minneapolis-based Doing Good Together encourages grandparents, parents and children to combine their time, skills and collective compassion in family volunteering programs that can make a real difference to their local communities. The non-profit organization's online resource provides all the material and services a family needs to start volunteering, as well as custom-made support, advice, assistance and events for schools, churches, community, civic and other charitable bodies. Launched in 2003 by executive director Jenny Friedman, who wrote The Busy Family's Guide to Volunteering, Doing Good Together also arranges presentations, workshops and materials to help make it easier for families to volunteer.
 www.doinggoodtogether.org | Phone: +1 612 822 6502 5141
16th Avenue South | Minneapolis, MN 55417 United States

Network for Good

While essentially a global fund-raising resource, connecting donors with more than a million charities and non-profit organizations worldwide, Network for Good has a rapidly growing youth program that not only guides children and teenagers on the path to giving back but also strongly encourages caring and compassion through volunteering. Its Youth Volunteer Network offers advice on awards, grants and scholarships, as well as volunteer toolkits, ideas on how to make a difference in the community, and suggestions for donations. Check out A Kid's Guide to Giving, written by 14-year-old Freddi Zeiler, packed with great ideas on child-friendly charitable causes.
www.networkforgood.youthnoise.com | Phone: +1 866 650 4636


Kids Care Clubs

Aimed at elementary and middle school children, Kids Care Clubs has been at the forefront of youth volunteering since its inception in 1990, and today has a roll call of more than 1,400 registered clubs and 75,000 children in the US and many other countries. Through parents, teachers, youth leaders and its extensive network of Kids Care Clubs, this non-profit organization fosters hands-on children's volunteer programs which can vary in size from a small group of friends to an entire school grade, and be custom-made to the specific needs of the local community. Each new club receives a detailed Start-up Handbook and monthly newsletters with information and advice on projects, activities, grants and community issues.
www.kidscare.org | Phone: +1 203 656 8052 975
Boston Post Road | Darien, CT 06820 United States


Roots and Shoots

Having spent most of her life studying chimpanzees in the jungles of Africa, Jane Goodall knows just how important those delicate, life-giving roots and shoots can be, so it comes as no surprise that the visionary primatologist, global environmentalist and humanitarian called the youth arm of the Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots. The innovative Youth Leadership Initiative, which has tens of thousands of members in almost 100 countries, provides training and opportunities to the community leaders of the future through ideas, projects, events and campaigns which all help to make the world a better place. The volunteer program is open to all ages with youth councils scattered across America.
www.rootsandshoots.org | Phone: +1 703 682 922 4245
North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600 | Arlington, VA 22203 United States

Related Files

• Children's books that Teach How to Give Back
• Online Charitable Gift Shop Lets Kids Help Others

Visit Suzanne's Files for more inspiration on charities for children