Once, the Buddha was born as a Banyan Deer. When he was grown he became leader of the herd. He guided his herd wisely and led them to the heart of a secluded forest where, sheltered by the giant trees, they lived free from danger.
Then a new king came into...
Central Asian Tale: A poor woodcutter is swindled by a wealthy man, but his daughter outwits the man by telling a greater lie. Wit and intelligence are more useful than wealth.
In collaboration with the Fetzer Institute's Generosity of Spirit project team, Learning to Give brings you access to stories from all over the world that speak of the gifts and challenges of leading a generous life.
This collection of world myths and folktales (linked below) is accompanied by lesson plans at the high school level and a reflection guide for teachers, parents, and youth leaders.
When a crisis upends life or disaster strikes, whether caused by nature or humans, the humanitarian spirit of individuals and communities swells. The lesson plans, project ideas, and links to nonprofit resources here provide opportunities to discuss our response to a crisis and explore actions that young people can take before and after disaster strikes.
Wildfire by Daniel Stark is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Let's explore and connect with ourselves and others by envisioning our community ten years from now. Select a meaningful issue that you deeply care about and visualize it being resolved. Afterward, let's engage in a conversation about the initial actions we can take to turn our vision into reality. Together, we can shape a brighter future!
Definition
Nonprofit organizations are organized for a public or mutual benefit other than generating profit for owners or investors (Salamon 1999). They can take a variety of forms from informal...
Philanthropy in American Indian and Alaskan Native cultures is not a new phenomenon—there is a long and rich history of indigenous giving traditions, and today there is a growing nonprofit sector devoted to social justice and development of Native communities in the United States. This paper examines overarching themes of Native American philanthropy (there are over 500 registered tribal nations in the continental US, and all celebrate their own giving and receiving rituals and traditions specific to their own communities), how the practice of Native American philanthropy has changed over time, and what the nonprofit sector within tribal communities looks like today. Additionally, this lesson will offer specific examples of youth-centric philanthropy and its focus on preserving Native culture for future generations.
A social reformer dedicated to changing conditions for people who could not help themselves, Dorothea Dix was a champion for the mentally ill and the imprisoned. Through her tireless work of over two decades, Dix instituted changes in the treatment and care of the mentally ill and improved prison conditions.
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was a trained minister whose future changed when he met Alice Cogswell, a young girl who was deaf. In 1817, Gallaudet opened the "Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons" in Hartford, Connecticut; it was the first U.S. deaf school. He had observed European educational methods and recruited a teacher of the deaf, Laurent Clerc, whose work helped develop American Sign Language (ASL).
Definition
To understand the definition of the concept, right to petition government, one must first understand where this concept originates. The right to petition is one of the fundamental...
