PHILANTHROPARTIES!

A guide to planning gatherings that raise awareness and solicit donations for a variety of social causes, written by a Los Angeles teen who founded a philanthropic organization and advocacy group called LemonAID Warriors.

Employing a conversational, personal, yet pithy tone, this guide begins with an introduction that gives some background on how Cerone became involved with social activism and how she came to work the hosting of parties into the mix. Organized in a calendar-year format, each month features a list of potential national celebratory events and then expands at length on three of the themes, giving a blueprint that includes details such as crafts, activities, recipes for snacks, playlists, and fundraising ideas. Photos of these events feature diverse groups of partygoers and embellish this appealingly designed guide, though some of the assumptions made—that friends invited to a pre-prom shindig will have old dresses to donate, for instance—suggest that the imagined audience is predominantly middle and upper class. There are also some elements that meld awkwardly, such as the glib description of an “I Have a Dream” board constructed for an MLK Day celebration as “super-cute.” However, Cerone is also careful to advise teens to spend time researching and thinking out their ideas, offering this valuable caveat: “What might seem like a good idea in the moment could create challenges for the people we are hoping to help."

This useful and accessible how-to of creative projects and tips will inspire altruistic preteens and teens