Question of the Week: What Do You Care About?
TAG Question of the Week For many children, the thought of parting with a $10 bill doesn’t sound so great. But initiating this conversation with the understanding that they HAVE to give it away will...
View ArticleBecoming a Family That Gives
At the Community Foundation, it’s our job to help folks in our community realize their potential to give and help them easily navigate the process. We often get questions from families who wish to make...
View ArticleVolunteering as a Family
No one has the exclusive rights to busy, but if you have a family you often feel as if you do. At the Community Foundation, we work with many families and know how difficult it can be just to get...
View ArticleSix Tips: How to Volunteer as a Family
Last week we talked about the benefits of volunteering as a family. Obviously, volunteering is great for our community and the subsequent benefits for children and families are priceless. But, how do...
View ArticleA Child’s First Donation
Catharine with Ian and his Giving Jars When Columbia mother Catharine Aitken’s oldest son Ian turned five, she decided it was time to start giving him an allowance and with that she wanted to also...
View ArticleTalking About Hunger: Three Simple Steps
Did you know that Wednesday, October 16 is World Food Day? Hunger is a problem that seems to affect every community in every corner of the world. And we don’t have to travel to a distant country to...
View ArticlePledging to Give
Regardless of the size of your donation, giving requires some planning. One way to teach your children how to plan, and turn giving into a lifelong habit, is to introduce them to the concept of Making...
View ArticleTricks, Treats and Helping Others
Tomorrow night the doorbell at our house will ring, the dogs will bark, and we’ll open the door to a chorus of “Trick or Treat!” We live in a fabulous family friendly neighborhood and my husband Ernie...
View ArticleFour Conversations You Should Have with Your Teen
Most of us expect our children to complete some household chores – cleaning their bedroom, unloading the dishwasher, taking out the trash. We give them chores not because we want a clean house (ok,...
View ArticleThanks and Giving
The holidays are officially here. Travel plans have been made and grocery lists are being checked. Menus are under consideration and meals will soon be on the table. It’s a busy time but, even with all...
View ArticleGiving Tuesday 2013
Many of us hit the stores on Black Friday. Maybe even more of us participated in Cyber Monday. Lots of us shopped locally on Small Business Saturday. ’Tis the season of giving and getting. But what...
View ArticleCreating a Culture of Giving
Have you heard about ‘Giving Tuesday?’ In the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, which occurred this week, is a day focused on giving, not getting. It sets the tone for a holiday...
View ArticleQuestion of the Week: Family Traditions
For years, my husband and I attended a ‘Christmas Vacation’ viewing party. Once the eggnog was poured into moose mugs the movie would begin. Even though everyone knew most of the dialogue by heart,...
View ArticleSacrifice A Gift
Gifts! Who doesn’t feel a little giddy when they see a present that has their name on it? Perhaps Scrooge, prior to learning that happiness has nothing to do with wealth but actually sharing with...
View ArticleQuestion of the Week: What Would You Change?
TAG Question of the Week As we bid adieu to 2013, there’s much to reflect on and much to plan. A New Year is upon us — the possibilities are endless! Before you turn the calendar, take the time to...
View ArticleNew Year, New Traditions
There’s something invigorating about starting a new year – 12 months of endless possibilities. Some approach it as an uncharted adventure while others pen a list of resolutions determined to turn over...
View ArticleSaving and Giving: Teaching Kids to Plan
Saving. As adults we know it’s critical, but learning to save is often tough. The savings rate in our country illustrates the difficulty. The National Institute on Retirement Security says the typical...
View ArticleMLK Day of Service
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights...
View ArticleSOUPer Bowl
A big ‘holiday’ is coming up. It’s one of my family’s favorites – an annual celebration when we gather around the television with friends and eat a ‘full flavored’ selection of hot wings, chicken...
View ArticleDonations of Every Size Count — Really!
You may not think so, but chances are you are a philanthropist. Personal wealth is certainly not a requirement for philanthropy nor is having a family foundation. In fact, individuals make up 81...
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