GO: Give Back (GO) is a philanthropic education program of Women’s Fund of Central Indiana. GO combines philanthropic education with charitable giving – teaching children and youth to make thoughtful and meaningful contributions to their community. At its inception in 2000, the GO was designed to jumpstart a young girl's lifelong commitment of donating time, financial resources and talent.. In 2007, in response to numerous requests from families eager to teach philanthropic values to both their sons and their daughters, Women’s Fund expanded the GO program to include boys.
To participate in GO, an adult establishes a donor-advised fund within the Women's Fund in the name of the young child - as early as birth. The adult then determines at what age the child can begin offering grants from the fund. School age children, from age seven to eighteen years old participate in educational programming and discuss various age-appropriate issues regarding community needs.
While other Women's Funds within the nation have similar programs, GO is the only program that uniquely combines the capability to disburse grants with the opportunity to participate in educational programming.
Children participate in ongoing philanthropy education activities starting in first grade and continuing through high school. The goal of the GO education curriculum is to help children learn about philanthropy and charitable giving in the following content areas: self, community, money management, meaningful service and philanthropic inspiration. Participants learn about sharing and caring, the needs of women and girls in our community, and how they can make a difference in age appropriate ways. Each child receives educational packets with philanthropy education activities for the whole family to engage in together twice each year. Additionally, GO fund holders meet twice during the school year for group educational sessions that are age appropriate and divided by gender. All GO members are invited to attend a special family education session offered once annually with adult members of their family in the spring.
To enroll a child in GO, an adult creates a donor advised fund within Women’s Fund of Central Indiana in the name of a child who is from birth to 18 years old. The advised fund must be started with a minimum of $1,000 and becomes a permanently endowed fund. The fund must reach $10,000 by the child’s eighteenth birthday. Once children turn 18, their funds officially transfer to their names. They will be able to make grant and gifts to community organizations from their funds for the rest of their lives. The most exciting part of reaching this milestone is that GO fund children, now young adults, will be sensitive to the needs of women and girls and will be strategic philanthropists in their own right.
If you are interested in establishing a GO fund, please contact Women’s Fund by calling 317.634.2423.
