Financial literacy is about creative resourcefulness. It means prioritizing to achieve personal goals. As we will explore in this article, financial literacy can also include claiming the power to make a difference.
Girls are often passionate about the causes that they encounter. Political, social, and environmental concerns can both inspire girls to action, but they may also create a sense of anxiety and fear. What better way to empower girls than to give them concrete avenues to effect change?
How can your daughter use financial literacy to make a difference? Suggest that she put aside a certain percentage or dollar amount from her allowance or paycheck. She may choose to make regular donations to a worthy cause, or initiate a project of her own. Three opportunities for making a difference are spotlighted below.
Charities
The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools suggests that girls who want to give find a charity with a good reputation that promotes a cause they believe in. The Los Angeles Police Department recommends checking the legitimacy of a charity on the California Attorney General’s web site (http://www.caag.state.ca.us), or the web site for the Better Business Bureau (http://www.give.org). Is your daughter unsure where to start looking for the right charity? Check out these two helpful web sites (remember, inclusion in a web list does not itself assure the charity’s validity):
JustGive.org
“JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people with the charities and causes they care about and to increase overall giving.”
http://www.justgive.org
The Charity Guide
“The Charity Guide is a non profit web site designed to inform and educate those interested in making contributions to charitable organizations.”
http://www.charity-charities.org
Do Something
DoSomething.org is dedicated to inspiring and empowering young people to make a difference. In addition to many ideas and opportunities for effecting change, Do Something annually offers 20 $500 grants to kids and teens who have a plan for creating positive change in the areas of community building, health, or the environment.
Dads and Daughters
DadsAndDaughters.org is a website dedicated to advancing positive relationships between girls and their fathers. The website’s “Take Action” page keeps an updated list of ways that dads and daughters can work together to improve the world that girls live in. Options include non-monetary action steps, as well as worthy efforts to give to!
There are many exciting ways to use dollars and cents to make a difference. The belief that our contributions make the world a better place can motivate us to manage our money responsibly. Encourage your daughter to use her unique creativity, commitment, and goal-setting to make an impact!
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Please note: Nothing in what you find here should be construed as medical advice pertinent to any individual. As is true with all written materials, and especially information found on the internet, you must be the judge of what appears valid and useful for yourself. Please take up any questions you might have regarding the content of this website with your psychotherapist or physician.