Meet the 11-year-old who donates ⅓ of his allowance to charity

When you’re eleven years old, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Time with friends, homework, chores, pet cuddles, and in Garrett’s world, fundraising for charities. We have a lot of kudos to give to Garrett, starting with the way he uses his Greenlight card. 

Meet Garrett

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“Giving is not just about making a donation. It’s about making a difference.” Well, that’s Garrett in a nutshell. When Garrett isn’t hanging out with his friends or taking his dog for a walk, he’s saving up his money to give to others. 

His favorite charitable cause to give to? Animal organizations. (Take a peek at the pupper on his custom card.) Garrett isn’t limited to helping out his four-legged friends, though. He’s also given a lot of his money to organizations helping people in need. His big heart has led him to make big commitments with his money — and he takes them on with a (big) smile.

How Garrett started 

Before Greenlight, Garrett’s mom was paying Garrett an allowance with cash. When she didn’t have cash on hand, she’d write out an IOU. One day, she typed into Google, “How do I get my son paid for his chores?” We don’t blame her! If only there were a way to automate allowance…Oh wait 😉

Garrett and his family signed up for Greenlight, and he immediately put his new app and card to use. Here’s the thing: He didn’t jump in and use Greenlight just for spending. He first started putting money aside to give to local charities — ⅓ of his allowance, to be exact.

In April 2020, Garrett participated in a giving challenge with the Manatee Community Foundation. He used his allowance ($150 total) to donate, which was later matched. After 24 hours of giving, the donors collectively raised $18 million. Garrett was recognized for his hard work and selfless contribution (and now, we’re recognizing him again!). 

Card safety is a #1 priority around here. Garrett learned this lesson the hard way when his friend accidentally took his debit card after a video game sesh. Hey, it happens. We’re just glad Garrett is spreading the word to keep debit cards in a safe place. 

Thinking about helping your kids budget? Make it automatic. Set a number that works for your kids and use your Greenlight app to help divvy up the money. When we asked Garrett’s mom how she and Garrett decided on a budget, she said she guided him but didn’t dictate his choices. She and Garrett chatted about allocating his allowance, and he chose to put ⅓ toward spending, ⅓ toward saving and ⅓ toward giving.

What’s next? 

Well, as you can probably guess, Garrett isn’t slowing down any time soon. He’s busy managing his money, earning allowance and finding new ways to make a difference in the world. Keep an eye out for this philanthropist!