Our Vision

What is Give as We Grow®?

We envision a world where all children engage in giving back and are equipped to reach their full potential as changemakers. 

Mission statement

Give As We Grow® engages elementary-aged children in learning the principles of generosity, inspiring action in their communities, and connecting their passions to philanthropic impact.

What we do

About Give As We Grow®

Give As We Grow® is designed to inspire, educate, and track philanthropic activity from as early as age three up to adulthood, utilizing an innovative digital platform comprising of a play-based learning application, an activity tracking feature, and a comprehensive collection of resources. 

Families and children can find a variety of content including games, educational videos, and how-tos to foster generosity in everyone from toddlers to teens. Users set up an account and create giving profiles for each family member in the app, recording individual donations and volunteer hours so you can see your generosity journey unfold! 

From content for the youngest of philanthropists to parenting advice from experts in the field, there is something for every age and stage at Give As We Grow®.

Our App

Explore, Play & Learn

Through virtual world exploration and minigames, elementary-aged players discover the world of philanthropy – the causes they’re passionate about and find new ways to give.

Our Giving Journal

Take & Track Action

Within the app, children can also track their real-world acts of giving, earn points, and see their impact over time in the Give As We Grow® Giving Journal. Parents have access to a password protected family dashboard which displays giving entries, gameplay stats, and highlights such as their child’s top giving interests.

Our Website

To help continue the conversation at home and take action offline, we’ve curated a collection of resources for all ages.

Resources

Under the Resource Library tab, you’ll find a searchable collection of resources such as activities, book lists, stories about real kids giving back, podcasts, and service project plans. For adults, we’ve included additional materials such as guides for discussing your family’s values and generosity with children. 

Opportunities to Give Back

Under the Give Back tab, we’ve collected online tools for finding giving opportunities near you. This includes tools for locating volunteer opportunities, identifying reputable organizations, and using your connections and talents to support a cause.

The 4 T’s of Philanthropy

Philanthropy, taking action that benefits others, can take many forms. When discussing ways to give, we use the 4 T’s framework.

You can help others by giving your…

Time

Serving others is a valuable, gratifying use of time. You can give your time through volunteering hours towards helping others or supporting a charitable organization.

Talent

We each have natural talents and cultivated skills or expertise which can be used to help others. People can donate their skills towards community development or nonprofits.

Treasure

Donating money or personal items can be an impactful way to help others. You might also use your time, talents, and ties to generate treasures for others. 

Ties

Make an impact together! Nurturing community, speaking to friends and family, and drawing from your network to connect the right people are all effective ways to support a cause.

Utilize our curriculum to learn how to continue the conversation at home, and explore how your family can use the 4 T’s to keep giving and growing.

Giving for every season

MLK National Day of Service Activities

Give back as a family today! Scroll through these easy ideas and check out our resource library for more.

Books

The Busy Family’s Guide to Volunteering: Doing Good Together

Doing Good Together

This book provides guidance for fitting in service into the busy schedule of family life, with tips that work for kids of all ages.

Videos

Good Neighbors Volunteer

Sesame Workshop

In this video, Elmo and friends explain what volunteering is and why people do it. This resource is a fun, age-appropriate introduction to service for young children. It also includes discussion questions to use after your child has watched the video.

Activities

How to Get the Most from Service Activities

Doing Good Together

Make your family service activities more meaningful with these reflection guides, with questions to ask before and after giving back.

Books

Picture Books for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

PBS Kids

Celebrate the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. with these picture books. The collection features books about real civil rights activists as well as fictional stories about doing the right thing and making a positive impact on your community.

Activities

Making Service Count: Responding to Community Needs

Kids that Do Good

Why do we participate in community service? This discussion starter encourages participants to reflect on the importance of service and how we can help meet local needs. Written as a lesson plan for third through eighth graders, this resource could be implemented outside of the classroom.

Articles

Your Volunteer Roadmap

Do Something

Learn how to identify the causes you care about the most – and take meaningful action – in this helpful article with activity ideas.

Project Guides

The Four Types of Service Action

Learning to Give

This resource provides a breakdown of four unique types of service activities, including example projects for those interested in cause areas like environmental stewardship, intergenerational relationships, and kindness.