10 tips to help you plan a family giving event
Whether you’re a grandparent, parent, adult child, or a young person, you can be the catalyst for creating a legacy of generosity in your family. When you take the time to intentionally engage your whole family, young and old, in stewardship, it could create more kingdom impact and bring your family together in a more meaningful way. A great way to start is by organizing a family giving event.
Here are 10 tips to help you plan a memorable family giving event:
1. Choose the right time and place
Select a time when most family members are available, such as summer vacation, the holidays, or a special family meeting time set up just for this purpose. You can Zoom or Skype to conduct your entire event online or consider gathering in a vacation home that is convenient for everyone and away from the distractions of everyday life.
2. Start with a biblical foundation
As you’re planning to give together, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone’s on the same page when it comes to biblical generosity. There is so much more about giving in the Bible than some of your family members may realize. Encourage everyone to explore Scripture on their own or go through our 10 principles of biblical generosity opens in a new tabdevotional together before your event.
3. Prep with a Giving Fund
If your family doesn’t have one already, a Giving Fund at NCFopens in a new tab enables you to set aside resources for giving and create a giving goal for your event. Everyone can contribute cash, stocks, or other non-cash assets. Then, you can go online together during the gathering to choose from thousands of vetted churches, ministries, and charities to support.
4. Consider your family mission, vision, and values
Perhaps your family has spent some time clarifying your mission and vision or deciding what values are the most important to you. If not, there are several resources that can help, including our Family Guideopens in a new tab and Legacy Guideopens in a new tab. You can also read an example of how one family developed their mission statementopens in a new tab.
5. Explore causes and passions
Prior to the event, encourage each family member to think about and research ministries or causes they are passionate about. Our Causes and Passions Guideopens in a new tab is a helpful resource that provides a series of discovery exercises, so each family member can explore the causes that stir their hearts, identify charities, and think about their big dreams for making a difference.
6. Assign some homework
Encourage family members to come to the event with a short presentation about their chosen charity. Ask each person to be prepared to explain why they chose the charity and how it aligns with their personal values or your family’s collective values. This step is important as it ensures that every gift is thoughtful and meaningful.
7. Make sure everyone has a voice
Begin the session with prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide your decisions. Then, have each family member present their chosen charity. Once everyone has shared, discuss as a group how much you would like to allocate to each cause from your family Giving Fund. This can be a democratic process where each member votes or a discussion that leads to a consensus.
8. Recommend grants
Log in to your Giving Fund during the meeting to find the ministries and charities that were decided upon and set up grant recommendations. This act can be incredibly fulfilling as you see your collective contributions set to make a real impact for the kingdom.
9. Reflect and celebrate
After the event, follow up individually with family members to reflect on the experience. Discuss what this process has taught each relative about generosity and the difference they can make. Celebrate your shared family achievement with a meal or a special activity to help reinforce the joy and satisfaction that comes from giving.
10. Plan for next time
Finally, consider making your family giving event an annual tradition, or something you take part in even more than once a year. This not only helps make a greater impact for various ministries and charities over time, but it also can keep the spirit of giving alive within your family at all times. And what a beautiful way to teach younger generations about the importance of giving back as they witness the results of their family’s collective efforts, all for the glory of God.
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