Betty Crocker® Fruit Flavored Snacks, The Parenting Group’s MomConnection® Research Network Reveal the State of Giving in America—from Kids’ and Moms’ Perspectives—with Release of the “Kids’ Altruism Indicator”

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to research released today, when it comes to measuring wealth, kids and moms believe having a giving heart makes a person far better off than someone who has a large pocket book. The “Kids’ Altruism Indicator,” which looks at kids’ overall views on giving back and helping others, was conducted by Betty Crocker^® Fruit Flavored Snacks in partnership with Parenting magazine, and also reveals that most kids not only are eager to help, they even enjoy doing so.

“Parenting’s MomConnection research uncovered that many moms want to help their kids give back, and we learned that kids are passionate about it, too”

As a component of the joint research effort, The Parenting Group’s MomConnection^® research network also provided insights into how moms instill altruistic values in their kids, findings indicate challenges parents face in getting kids involved in philanthropic activities, determining the appropriate age kids should start giving back, and identifying specific activities and ways kids can help those in need.

Helping Starts at Home

According to the findings, 93 percent of moms would exude more pride if their kids grew into giving adults than if they were wealthy*, and kids overwhelmingly agree. Specifically:
A majority of 7-12-year-olds (87 percent) state they would rather be giving adults than ones with a lot of money**.
More girls than boys (91 percent vs. 83 percent) would rather be giving adults when they grow up than rich ones**.
It varies slightly depending on where the kids live, with more than nine in ten (93 percent) in the Midwest preferring to be altruistic than wealthy in their adulthood, compared to 86 percent of their counterparts in the rest of the country**.

Instilling the value of giving is certainly important to moms; however, many recognize they face challenges when it comes to involving kids in charitable acts, with 40 percent saying they don’t have enough time, and nearly one-third (31 percent) believing they lack the funds necessary to get children involved*.

“While there’s plenty of research about family philanthropy, it’s often from the parents’ perspective, so we created the ‘Kids’ Altruism Indicator’ to capture a unique look at kids’ views on helping others,” said Ben Mand, brand marketing manager for Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks. “It’s clear from the results that kids of all ages feel they can give back in a meaningful way.”

Heroes without Borders

When it comes to charitable acts, kids dream big — even bigger than their parents — as kids believe giving has no boundaries. They feel they can help others near and far, from families (87 percent) and classmates (85 percent) to kids outside the U.S. (83 percent)**. However, moms tend to believe their kids can make more of a difference locally, by helping:

People in their hometowns (83 percent)*
Kids at school (79 percent)*
Neighbors (78 percent)*
Family members (71 percent)*
Kids outside the U.S. (60 percent)*

Additionally, moms believe the best way for kids to help others is by donating goods (88 percent) or volunteering time (78 percent)*. And, while kids agree that these are great ways to give back, they seem to view it holistically—giving is giving—rather than choosing to give back based on a specific activity. In fact, the majority of kids surveyed would enjoy any number of activities that help those in need, citing specifics such as volunteering their time (77 percent), sending care packages to soldiers (75 percent) or participating in fundraisers (74 percent)**.

When it comes to how old a child should be, nearly one-quarter of moms believe their kids are too young to make a difference*. On the contrary, most 7-12-year-olds realize they don’t need to be an adult to make an impact, and more than nine in ten (91 percent) believe they’ve already made someone’s life better by helping them out**.

In celebration of children and their amazing efforts to make the world a better place, Parenting magazine is honoring eight outstanding child advocates and their accomplishments with its 2011 “Kids of the Year” program, announced in the Feb. 2011 issue of Parenting School Years.

“Parenting’s MomConnection research uncovered that many moms want to help their kids give back, and we learned that kids are passionate about it, too,” said, Ana Connery, editorial director, Parenting magazine. “Kids have big hearts and the best intentions, and often they just need a champion to help put their ideas into action. Parenting’s 2011 ‘Kids of the Year’ are shining examples of how one child can inspire and energize thousands to make a difference.”

Giving Can Be Fun and Easy

As the “Kids’ Altruism Indicator” revealed, even the smallest of acts can make a big difference, and giving to others can be fun and easy. Now through May, Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks has a way for kids to help others through its “Win & Give” campaign. Consumers should look for specially marked “Win & Give” packages in stores and for every child that wins in the U.S., Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks will donate a laptop to a child in Africa. Thousands of kids will win, but everyone has the chance to give and help change the lives of other kids. Even those who are not winners can help donate laptops to kids in Africa online by visiting WinOneGiveOne.com and playing “Be a Hero” to help donate additional computers to kids in need. To learn more about Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks and the “Win & Give” campaign, please visit WinOneGiveOne.com.

Each Parenting “Kids of the Year” winner will receive a laptop courtesy of Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks’ “Win & Give” program, and one laptop will also be donated to a child in Africa on behalf of each winner.

Moms who are looking for additional ways to help get their kids involved can download tips from Parenting magazine at WinOneGiveOne.com.

About General Mills

One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Yoplait, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2010 global net sales of US$16 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.

About The Parenting Group

The Parenting Group, home of the Parenting, Babytalk and Conceive brands, reaches moms over 15 million times every month through magazines, digital media, custom content, and events. TPG’s publications include: Parenting School Years, for moms with children in kindergarten through elementary school; Parenting Early Years, for moms of infants, toddlers and preschoolers; and Babytalk, for new moms and moms-to-be. TPG’s other media properties include: Conceive, for women trying to get pregnant, the Babytalk Pregnancy Planner; the Parenting.com and ConceiveOnline.com web sites; MomConnection®, a nationally-representative online research network; and a custom content unit. The Parenting Group is a division of Bonnier Corporation.

About the MomConnection and “Kids Altruism Indicator” Research Reports

*The Parenting Group’s MomConnection^® research report was conducted December 9-17, 2010 through www.momconnection.com. A total of 386 panel members with at least one child under 12 completed the survey. The margin of error for this report is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

**The Betty Crocker Fruit Flavored Snacks “Kids Altruism Indicator” was conducted by Kelton Research between December 1 and December 16, 2010 using Random Digit Dialing of listed and unlisted numbers. A total of 501 children between ages 7-12 completed the survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.4 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.