It is that time of year when many families go around the Thanksgiving dinner table and have each family member share what they are grateful for in their season of life. Why not start a new tradition this year and use that same spirit of gratitude to guide your family towards some charitable giving goals for the year ahead?

This Thanksgiving, keep the conversation going with the following three topics and your family might discover a new charitable mission before you finish your pecan pie. 

1. What unites us in thanksgiving?

The end of an election year might make a big family dinner feel a little more ominous than usual. But genuine gratitude and togetherness can help us bridge our differences with each other and focus on what unites us: family and friends, helping folks in need, activities we enjoy doing together, problems we want to solve, loved ones whose memories we want to carry on. 

As your family shares what it's thankful for, be listening for these commonalities in values that you all hold dear. Engage every family member, children and adults alike. By focusing on what really matters to each of you, you'll find giving goals that you'll all want to achieve. 

2. How can we give back?

Money is the only conversation topic that can spoil a meal as quickly as politics. If you're trying to unite a large group of aunts, uncles, and cousins around a giving mission, it might be a good idea to leave specific dollar amounts aside and encourage your family to contribute what they can, when they can. 

But during the holiday season, many causes and charitable organizations need extra hands almost as much as they need donations. Your family could make time to volunteer at a local food bank or shelter. You could organize a food, clothing, or toy drive in your neighborhood. Pitch in at a community cleanup in your local parks. Instead of waiting for spring cleaning, start a year-end downsizing and donate things you've outgrown or aren't using. Set a caregiving schedule to help seniors in your neighborhood handle garbage days, shoveling snow, and grocery runs. 

Nonprofits and charities need cash to keep the lights on. But showing up for your community can also encourage folks around you to do the same and spread even more thanksgiving in their own homes and neighborhoods. 

While it's always heartening to see people lift each other up around the holidays, the problems that our communities face continue throughout the year, and the causes that are nearest to our hearts will always need attention.

If your family truly wants to make thanksgiving a cornerstone value, talk about ways to make your giving more sustainable. Start making automatic monthly contributions to your favorite charities and show children and teens how these donations fit into the rest of the family’s monthly budget. Keep up a regular volunteer schedule and encourage your spouse and older children to do the same. If new needs arise in your family or community, think about how those causes align with your values and talk about ways that you might be able to make a difference. 

Families with larger giving goals might also consider establishing donor-advised funds, trusts, and family charitable organizations. With proper planning, goal setting, and administration, each of these options can help your family to give more in perpetuity while also teaching the next generation how to responsibly manage the family’s legacy going forward.