Whether it's donating to a cause, volunteering your time or helping someone in your community, giving can be a meaningful way for kids to learn about empathy, community and the different ways they can make a difference.
Many Kit kids are already thinking about giving. 83% of Kit kids with a savings goal are saving towards a charity-related goal, with kids aged 8 to 10 showing the strongest engagement.*
This International Charity Day, here are five simple ways to start conversations about giving with your family and help kids explore what generosity can look like.
Giving can feel more meaningful when kids have a say in what they're supporting.
Start by asking your child what matters to them.
They might care about animals, helping people experiencing hardship, protecting the environment or supporting people who are unwell. There's no right answer. The goal is to help your child think about their own values and understand that they can choose to support causes that are meaningful to them.
For Kit kids who have made a donation, animal welfare is the most popular cause, followed by health and medical causes, wish foundations and social services.* It shows that giving can look a little different for every kid.
💚 Kit Money Lesson: Start with what matters. Help your child identify a cause they care about and why.
Kids don't need a lot of money to start learning about giving.
If your child receives pocket money, you could talk about whether they'd like to set aside a small amount for a cause they care about. With Kit, kids can also split their PayDay between spending and different savings goals, making it easier to regularly put a little aside towards something they care about.
💚 Kit Money Lesson: Give with a goal. If your child wants to donate, help them decide what they're saving towards and track their progress.
If your family already donates to charity, bring your child into the conversation.
You might explain which organisations you support, why you've chosen them and how you decide how much you can afford to give.
If you're making a family donation, you could let everyone suggest a cause and decide together where the money will go. These everyday conversations can help kids understand that giving is one of the choices we can make about how we use our money.
You can also try Kit’s free Giving Back Money Bite, a simple activity that helps kids practise saving to donate and learn how giving can make a difference.
The focus doesn't need to be on how much they give. Instead, it can be an opportunity to practise deciding what they want their money to do.
💚 Kit Money Lesson: Make giving a conversation. Talk about where your family gives and why.
Giving doesn't always have to involve money. Donating your time can also help kids experience what it means to contribute to their community.
Depending on your child's age and what's available locally, your family could:
Volunteering can also start conversations about paid and unpaid work, and why people choose to contribute their time to causes they believe in.
💚 Kit Money Lesson: Giving isn't just about money. Talk about the different ways we can give our money, time or things we no longer need.
Teaching kids about giving doesn't need to happen through one big lesson.
Look for everyday opportunities to talk about it. You might discuss a fundraiser at school, choose items together to donate, talk about a charity you see in your community or ask your child what they'd do if they had $10 to give away.
You can also talk about giving alongside other ways kids might use their money – like spending and saving – helping them see that money can have different purposes.
The aim isn't to tell kids that they should give. It's to give them opportunities to understand what charitable giving is, think about what matters to them and make considered choices for themselves.
💚 Kit Money Lesson: Keep the conversation going. Giving can be another way for kids to think about what they value and how they choose to use their money.
*Source: Kit data, January–July 2026.
Giving is just one of the ways kids can learn to make thoughtful choices about money. For more activities and conversation starters, explore Kit's free Giving Back Money Bite and Smart Money Playbook.
You can also follow @kitappau on Instagram for more practical tips and ideas to help your family build money skills together.