From Generation to Generation: Creating a Legacy of Jewish Giving

By: Alana Hollander

It seems a rather simple equation. Parents who give will have children who give. A key finding of Women Give 2018, a study produced by IUPUI at the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, was that “adult children (both sons and daughters) whose parents give to charity are more likely to give to charity.”

So how do we as Jewish educators add context and meaning to this finding? How do we create an environment that will allow children to thrive, absorbing the understanding that giving tzedakah is an expression of Jewish tradition, their own identity, and their family legacy?

The Jewish Teen Funders Network aims to answer these questions in new and innovative ways as they aspire to create generations of engaged, empowered and experienced Jewish changemakers and givers.

In January 2019, working in partnership with the Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN), Natan piloted NatanFamily, a unique and independent giving experience for members’ children and their friends. JTFN worked closely with the team at Natan in order to deliver a new, specially designed curriculum that would enable participants have similar philanthropic experiences as their parents while exploring their identity as givers. In turn, parents were encouraged to talk with their children about their work with Natan and other organizations, fostering new conversations at home about why, where and how they give.