Typically, philanthropy is an adult activity.  After all, adults have the money.  Adults have the time to research and choose where to donate that money from among the bewildering number of worthy charities, causes, and organizations. 

Markmakers is the result of one family’s desire to open the world of charitable giving to children.  Its innovative website introduces children to the concept of charitable giving and social activism by giving them a safe environment in which to make their first charitable donations, including the option of offsetting carbon with Carbonfund.org.

Here’s how it works: an adult—a parent or grandparent, perhaps, or a friend of the family or other benefactor—purchases a Markmakers card and, after taking the opportunity to write a personal thought on giving, sends it to the young recipient. The recipient then logs onto Markmaker.org and explores a number of different charitable possibilities in six categories, including Poverty, Disease, Animal Welfare, Kids in Need, the Environment, and Peace & Justice. 

“Parents often donate in the name of their children, but that’s hardly the same thing as letting a child choose from different causes, make a decision to commit their money,” said Markmakers President Eric Garfinkel. 

The Markmakers website allows children to make an informed decision and control the giving process.  There are no links from Markmakers to any other website so a child can explore the site and read about the different causes and needs without traveling to a place where she might end up on a mailing list. All giving through Markmakers is anonymous, and the names of the children and card purchasers are not passed to any organization.