Category Archives: In Our Virtual Reality

The Day My 3-Year-Old Did Multiplication (By Giving to Others)


Although that may sound impressive, it’s not exactly what you would think. Perhaps she has learned something even better, though. She used giving to find out what multiplication looks and feels like in real life, and these tangible experiences for young children are a powerful way to learn and reinforce new concepts (like multiplication). When our family was introduced to CommuniGift as her third birthday approached, I already sensed that it was an opportunity to grow the impact of our family giving, but I didn’t anticipate the added bonus of our daughter learning multiplication, too.

CommuniGift was founded upon the belief that all children, no matter their circumstance, deserves to feel special on their birthday. For some families, the opportunity to throw a birthday party, or even purchase a gift for their child is out of reach. Meanwhile, as we selected a play place, ordered food, and chose the cake, the spirit behind CommuniGift reminded me that this was plenty. Simone had more than enough to make her feel special on her birthday.

We discovered that through CommuniGift’s interface, rather than having our guests bring presents to her party, we could invite them to donate gifts to her virtual “birthday buddy” instead. (more…)

The 5 Realms of Service

IMG_2788Too many times I’ve heard my husband call out, “Honey, I can’t find the (insert object here)!” Even after telling him exactly where to look, I still end up having to go and show him myself. Usually it is right where I suggested it would be, just that it required lifting or moving something else slightly out of the way to see it.

I find that sometimes seeing opportunities for service is a similar process- it might be right there in front of me, but I haven’t adjusted my focus or changed my filter to see it that way. I’m going to suggest five realms where service opportunities can be discovered. Overall, these might seem fairly self-explanatory, but perhaps there’s one category here you hadn’t considered or you hadn’t thought about how well it fit into your family’s daily life already.

Over the course of time, I’ll expand on these categories and use them to help organize the ideas, tips and resources shared on Philanthroparent.com .  Hopefully this list gives you a fresh perspective on what opportunities are already there in front of you. Maybe you’ll discover something you didn’t even know you were searching for. Take a look. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to find it quicker than my husband can find the things he’s been looking for in his closet. (more…)

A Philanthroparent’s Game Plan for The World Cup

France Soccer Kids     You may know soccer (or perhaps you call it football) as “the world’s sport” and”the beautiful game.” Now combine these ideas: How could you make the world more beautiful through the game? There are many ways to use this sport to create a philanthropy opportunity with your family. In honor of the World Cup, here are some ideas to get the ball rolling (so to speak). May your World Cup runneth over with opportunities for good!

The Warm-ups

Philanthroparents see the value in developing character traits that go hand-in-hand with volunteerism. Lessons discovered through teamwork and sportsmanship could be worth discussing and reinforcing. These conversation starters might prompt the kind of meaningful dialogue that leads to a service idea.

  • FIFA’s slogan: “My game is fair play.”
  • 2014 World Cup motto: ” All in One Rhythm™ “
  • Pope Francis’ comments at the start of the 2014 tournament: Football as “a game and at the same time an opportunity for dialogue, understanding and reciprocal human enrichment.”

The Game Plan

The World Cup is an excellent opportunity for crowdsourcing. If you’re planning to gather together to watch a game, how could you reframe it to benefit others?

  • Your child could rally their own sports team around The World Cup. Collect sports equipment for an organization that supports underserved youth in your area.
  • Host a foosball tournament with entry fees that go towards a sports-based charity. Don’t have the means or space for a foosball table? How about a mini table top foosball tournament with these 20 inch tables?
  • For older kids or adults in your life who are willing to wager, have them predict the outcomes for the remainder of the teams/games in the tournament.  Each person in the pool can fill in their own brackets, but collect donations instead of bets.

The Lineup of Causes

Sports-minded charities address a multitude of issues: leadership and empowerment through sports, disabled athletes, equal opportunity and access to sports, to name a few. Here are a few key players related to The World Cup this year.

  • FIFA has partnered with streetfootballworld. They aim to unite and support organizations all over the world that are promoting social change through football. This organization is a great way to see the host of ways people are igniting change through the beautiful game.
  • Support a social issue within the region or host country where the tournament takes place. Or, choose a cause that is important to one of the participating athletes. Brazil player Neymar Jr. (partnering with Waves for Water and PayPal), has helped initiate a campaign that addresses the lack of access to clean water within underserved communities in Brazil.
  • Check out the #TeamUNICEF campaign reinforcing that “All children have the right to play regardless of their background/abilities/gender.” They provide two soccer balls in their recreation kit, noting that sports and play can be an effective therapy for trauma when children encounter disasters and violence.

The World Cup is underway until July 13th, but the values of teamwork and sportsmanship and how they intersect with philanthropy, along with sports-based charities, will continue on. If you have a sports fan in your family, how can you reframe these ideas to make a difference year-round?

 

 

Saving Our Seas from My “Sea”t

Fay Bainbridge BeachWorld Oceans Day is tomorrow, and we were planning on spending this afternoon repurposing cast-off plastic materials into a fish collage at the reDiscover Center in Los Angeles. I liked that it was a kid-friendly way to recognize harrowing facts, like how 80% of plastic pollution in the ocean comes from land-based sources, primarily litter.

However, the tides have changed. Our toddler is sick today. She will likely be better within a few days, unlike our oceans that have been sick for some time now. Instead of throwing in the (beach) towel, I’m doing my own personal mini campaign… Saving Our Seas from my “Sea”t.

(more…)