Valley brothers create nonprofit game to encourage youth volunteering
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Talin and Anik Bhow created The Giving Game to get more young people involved in nonprofits. Photo: Courtesy of Amiti Bhow
Two Valley brothers created a game to expose young people to the plights of their communities and get them into the volunteer pipeline.
Why it matters: Teens often have more free time to meet nonprofit needs, but they're less likely to know how to find volunteer or charitable giving opportunities.
How it works: The Giving Game — started by Talin, 15, and Anik Bhow, 12, last year — features presentations about local nonprofits by kids, for kids.
- Children and teens make a $50 donation to participate in the annual event.
- Young people who benefit from the services provided by five featured nonprofits give a two-minute pitch to their peers about how the organization impacts people like them.
- Each audience member gets five coins to vote for how they want their donation to be spent. The donation pot is divided based on votes.
How it happened: When the Bhow brothers were researching volunteer opportunities last year, they learned that many of their friends had direct connections with local organizations.
- For example, one friend has celiac disease and works closely with a foundation that raises awareness about the condition. Another has a sister with severe disabilities who attends events through Believe Beyond Ability.
- Talin and Anik told us they wanted to create a platform for kids and teens to recognize the challenges of other young people — and so The Giving Game was born.
What they're saying: "You think about it more if a kid who is your age is telling their story," Anik said. "You're like, 'Well, if I had that [condition], what would my life be like?' And you feel this thing where you just want to help them."
Between the lines: The event is more about raising awareness than money, the Bhows said.
- By making it into a game, they force attendees to reflect on the presentations and think about what causes they are most passionate about, Talin said.
- He told us he's already had several friends who started volunteering with the nonprofits after the event.
The latest: The most recent game, hosted last month at the Children's Museum of Phoenix, featured five new organizations, including Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, which helps families coping with childhood cancer, and the Swift Youth Foundation, which provides activities and mentorship for economically disadvantaged youth.
- It raised more than $10,000.
What's next: The Bhows are already planning for next year's event and accepting nominations for worthy nonprofits via email at [email protected].
- They're also working to create a searchable database of volunteer opportunities that work with school schedules to allow a year-round resource.
1 stat to go: Adolescents who volunteer are less likely to have anxiety or behavioral issues, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2023.