I want to volunteer with my child to help others but funds are tight. Is it okay to help my 5 year old raise money so we can help people in need? Our should I tackle this dilemma in house first?

You should be able to acquire things for free that would fulfill this admirable goal. For example, you could post to Craigslist saying that you want to collect unwanted toys so that you and your daughter can take them to a homeless shelter for families. She would have the magnificent experience of giving toys to other children. Your cost is the cost of getting around town and the time to build the relationship with the people managing the shelter so they allow your daughter to give the toys directly to the other kids. I'm involved with an organization that assists homeless people, and blankets are always in demand, especially in the winter. But I am certain that you would be more effective asking people to give you blankets than you would be raising money to buy them. Fundraisers can be enormous time sinks. There is far more power and effectiveness in asking other people to part with something that they no longer need. This can include money, but that depends upon connections that take a long time to build. I would suggest that if you go get free stuff for a year or two and give it out where it's needed, it will be easier for you to find someone who will give you $100,000 than it will be to raise a tenth of that on your own. I commend you for doing this. It will give your daughter reserves of strength, confidence and perspective no matter what life has in store for her. I've seen it in my own daughter (her mom did it, not me). Giving toys to kids who didn't have toys is part of her identity now. It made her happy and it made her stronger.

To find a good volunteer opportunity, go to http://VolunteerMatch.org (or a comparable site), and see what's in your community that is "Good for Kids" and that is a good fit for you in terms of the time commitment and cause. Starting when I was four, my Mom took me volunteering with her all the time, including sorting seed packets, gift wrapping pencils and supplies, baking 1,000 cookies for our Library bakesale, packing snack bags and backpacks, running a thrift store sale at our church, holding signs advocating for peace, and a whole bunch of other things.  I remember having a lot of fun at the time as a kid -- but in the past few years I've realized just how important these experiences were for me, in developing who I am today.  It doesn't really matter *what* you do, just the fact that you want to make this a regular part of your child's life is huge, and awesome. As far as raising money -- I'd like to suggest something that my family did for several years in a row during Lent (though you could definitely apply this any time of year).   We had a small box.  And each night, we'd contribute 10 cents for different things in the house that we were grateful to have.  Monday -- ten cents for every blanket in the house.  Tuesday -- ten cents for every cookie I ate for dessert.  Wednesday -- ten cents for every pair of shoes I had.  ... and so on.  At the end of the month, we donated all the money to our local shelter. My parents have always been very generous (and have been fortunate to have the means to give generously).  But I remember these donations (it couldn't have been more than $20 all together) a whole lot more than I remember any of the much larger gifts or bakesales or carwashes I've participated in over the years.

Your goals sound great. It's unclear to me how your funds being tight is playing into this. If you are able to do these volunteer charity events without cutting into your funds and without taking time away from your job, it sounds like a great idea. If you will be sacrificing some of your family's well-being for them, my rule of thumb is generally to take care of my needs first and the needs of others second, if for no other reason than if I don't, I will soon be incapable of taking care of other peoples' needs. Good luck!

I think it makes sense to unlink the two issues in your mind. You are teaching a valuable lesson to your child by volunteering or raising funds to help those who are less fortunate, regardless of your own financial situation. But if fundraising doesn't feel right, why not volunteer your time by going with your child to help out at a food pantry, soup kitchen, animal shelter, etc.?

Run a clothing or food drive at your house of worship, school, etc.  Volunteer at the local library to read to those who can not.  Check with a local foodbank about voluteering.  Oppontunities are there and basically just require TIME.

Giving your time and money to others is a sacrifice in and of itself, and if you give away something that you don't have, the reward and satisfaction will be that much more. My solution is to write down with your child why you want to help others, whether it be personal beliefs or a moral justice, and have a discussion about that until they understand why you are doing it in the first place. A child can get confused, and see this as something he is being made to do rather than something that he gets to do. One is a command and the other is a choice, and the choice brings a greater reward. Then discuss different ways of helping people. Money is required in almost every activity, but teaching a child that they are not limited to financial constraints to help people is a valuable lesson. Small acts of kindness help more than you think. Time is a resource, and giving that to up to help people will go a long way. People have already suggested soup kitchens and things like that which are only time sensitive. But as far as the money goes, work with you child, teach the value and monetary reward of working, and then have them "donate" some of their money that they earn to a charity jar. You can simply match whatever they add. My guess then is that your child will do something that only children can seem to do, and that is notice a huge need and want to contribute all of their funds to help. While working at a soup kitchen they may notice somebody needing new clothes or the kitchen needing new materials. Your child will then see a need and want to help. Continue this cycle, and their ability to recognize the needs of others and their ability to help will grow.