The Giving Square

Mission

Our vision is a world where children are impactful contributors to society.

Our mission is to transform the civic role of children, through a new, inclusive expression of philanthropy.

In fall 2016, we were a group of citizens concerned about the rise of the divisive “us vs. them” narrative in our country. We were a group of parents seeking to raise caring children amidst increased rates of bullying and narcissism in our schools. We were professionals in philanthropy, community development, and social change, eager for a new way to involve children as community builders. Under these forces, a new idea was born: to empower and challenge children to be empathetic, impactful, and authentic philanthropists (givers of themselves for the good of humanity).

A few months later we piloted a Kids for Kids Fund with 40 students at Wood Acres Elementary School. Quickly, we saw the impact the program had on kids. Based on their feedback, children loved it and learned a lot. At home, their parents observed increased empathy and a desire to give back.

Over the next two years we grew to 4 and then 11 schools, always ensuring that over 30% of our programs were being offered in low-income communities. After gathering more data we saw that the word “philanthropist” became a powerful identity for all children, empowering them with a sense of responsibility to do good for others.

In order to grow we codified our curriculum and established a train-the-trainer model. With more schools offering the program, we were able to launch Kids for Kids Celebrations which brought schools together in order for kids to present their ideas and work publicly, in front of other kids, their parents, and community leaders. We continued exploring different ways to engage families in the methodology through family workshops and field trips (all co-led with Kids for Kids Fund alumni).

Organization Information