DECEMBER 2020

Dear ,  This season sparks frequent questions around giving and receiving and life lessons to share with children and grandchildren. Many have reached out asking questions of how families can strengthen their muscles of generosity and empathy in this season of giving - especially this year. Here are a few ideas that are simple, and yet impactful. Give your children or grandchildren a set amount of money to donate; discuss their passions; and let them direct the giving. Enlist kids' help with a virtual fundraiser, food drive, or adopt a family or senior. Make donations in honor of friends and family in lieu of gifting things. Share stories of your joyful giving and volunteering. Read and gift books that inspire generosity and empathy. If you're interested in learning more about strengthening the family giving muscle year round, take a listen to this podcast with Lisa Parker, granddaughter of Lawrence Welk and Executive Director of his named Foundation. She shares her advice on how to meaningfully engage children in philanthropy. I love how she says, "philanthropy is a critical piece of a child's well being." I couldn't agree more.

Book Recommendations on Generosity and Empathy

In case you are still looking for a few gifts for your family this season, I thought I would share these.

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart A touching book for elementary school aged children set in the Depression era. A young girl is sent to live with her uncle and finds connection with him through her generosity and kindness. My father in law gave this to us many years ago; it is still a favorite.

Giving Thanks: Poems, Prayers, and Praise Songs of Thanksgiving by Katherine Paterson and Pamela Dalton Don't let the title mislead you; this book is relevant year round and for all ages. It is exquisitely beautiful and encompasses prayers and meditations of gratitude from many cultures and faith traditions.

I See You by Michael Genhardt A wordless book that aims to broaden a child's awareness of homelessness. A homeless woman is invisible to all but one young boy. The book is accompanied by a discussion guide for children and adults.

Maddi's Fridge by Lois Brandt This book humanizes food insecurity as two friends experience different realities of having enough in their fridges. When my children have volunteered and toured the local food bank, this story is read aloud.

The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun This story speaks to teens and young adults. It illustrates how one person can be inspired to create change globally. One interaction between Adam and a young boy in India hatched a dream to build hundreds of schools around the world.

The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau This book focuses on the philosophies of giving and happiness. It provides a framework for kids and adults to discuss questions like: what are the many ways you can give? does material wealth bring one happiness?

Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change by Garth Sundem This book is for a middle school aged child. It offers true, inspiring stories from around the world on kid led activism and volunteering. There is a companion piece on kids overcoming adversity.

Points of Inspirations

The Promise of a Vaccine: the innovation and collaboration of many across the globe is awe inspiring. Philanthropy has a role in making this dream a reality along with government and private sectors; notably Dolly Parton made a transformational gift to Vanderbilt University for vaccine development. Her life long generosity never ceases to amaze me. Landmark Generosity: The spirit of generosity is alive and well in my community with a number of transformational gifts announced in the last week alone: Facebook made a $1M grant to the Coastal Community Foundation to be invested in black communities and black-led nonprofits. Jeff Bezos' Day 1 Foundation grant of $5M to One80 Place will help to end and prevent homelessness in the greater Charleston community. The Navarro family just announced the launch of the Meeting Street Scholarship Fund which provides scholarships for all high school graduates in the Charleston County School District who have limited means to attend college. MacKenzie Scott's stunning generosity across South Carolina will help shift the tide of poverty and create more opportunities for marginalized communities. Literary Reflection: a colleague recently shared this poem, "Perhaps the World Ends Here" by Jo Harjo. I am finding myself at the kitchen table a lot these days with my family talking about our world and how to celebrate the holidays. Her poem sums up the timelessness of this sacred space and the powerful connections that happen there.

Wishing you all peace and joy during this holiday season. Gratefully, Kaky

KAKY M. GRANT / PRINCIPAL 843-276-3974 Kaky@grantphilanthropy.com www.grantphilanthropy.com