The holiday season is an important one for charities and non-profit organizations, said Imagine Canada President and CEO Bruce MacDonald.

"We want to make sure that charities and non-profits have the environment and the tools and capacity to succeed," said MacDonald.

He explained that in the last 6-8 weeks of the year, Canadians give about $5 billion to charitable institutions.

MacDonald hopes the next generation will be generous as well. According to Imagine Canada, 88 per cent of parents in Manitoba think it's important to inspire their children to give to charities.

"Almost 70 per cent see the charitable giving as an essential holiday season experience for their children and teenagers," he added.

He recommends that parents have conversations with their children around giving.

"Adults say that one of the reasons that they currently give is because they witnessed their parents giving," he said.

MacDonald noted choices around giving are usually very personal.

"Whether you as an individual have benefited from the services of an organization, or you've watched a family member who've received services, kids watch that too, they see these things happen."

Because children have their own interests, MacDonald recommends getting them involved by helping them set a budget and choose where to donate money to.

"Encouraging kids to maybe have 3 piggy banks, save, spend and give... empowers them to make the choice around where they want to give."

MacDonald also said it's easy for young people to get involved in social good.

"If they have a particular interest, digital technology now allows them, and affords them, the opportunity to find out a lot of information," he said.

If people are not sure where to start with the giving process, MacDonald recommends going to the Guide To Giving website.

"The act of being generous, I think, is really a value that makes us Canadian," he added.