California Kids Giving Back

About Our Philanthropy Group
CA Kids Giving Back

We’re so excited you’re here and interested in learning more about us!

How It All Started

CA Kids Giving Back is a youth-led philanthropy group dedicated to creating meaningful service opportunities for kids and teens across California. It all began in 2016 when Brooke and Taylor Rowen founded OC Kids Giving Back in Orange County, at the ages 6 and 8. A few months later, their cousins Hailey and Leah Miller, ages 5 and 7, launched LA Kids Giving Back in Los Angeles. Together, these cousins’ efforts have grown into a statewide movement we now proudly call CA Kids Giving Back!

Early Events and Local Impact

Our journey began with a simple but powerful idea: kids helping kids. Our very first project was a school supply backpack drive—and from there, things took off! We hosted lemonade stands to raise money for cancer research, collected supplies for animal shelters, and held toy drives. We planned events and supported amazing organizations like Orange County Rescue Mission, WisePlace, Breakthrough T1D, Friendship Circle, Baby2Baby, LA Family Housing, and Wags and Walks. We were even featured on ABC7 News and were honored with OneOC's Spirit of Volunteerism Award for our fundraising work! We loved making YouTube videos, writing blog posts, and encouraging our friends to get involved by hosting their own events.

Becoming a Platform for Youth Philanthropy

As we entered middle school and high school, our mission evolved. Rather than leading every project ourselves, we wanted to empower other kids and teens to pursue their own ideas and causes. CA Kids Giving Back became more than just a club—it became a platform where young people could team up, bring their passions to life, and make a real difference. We created official CA Kids Giving Back Chapters at local high schools, and offered marketing support, helped spread the word about new projects, and rallied volunteers to back up our friends’ visions. Whether someone wanted to host a canned food drive, a walk-a-thon to raise money for juvenile diabetes, or a kindness campaign, CA Kids Giving Back was there to help make it happen.

Recent Efforts and Recognitions

In the summer of 2022, we launched a summer camp for children at the Orange County Rescue Mission, a shelter for families experiencing homelessness. We’re excited to be hosting our third annual camp this year! It’s one of our most heartwarming and fun-filled projects—bringing joy, connection, and creativity to kids who need it most.

In 2024, we joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student Visionaries of the Year campaign, led by Hailey Miller and Lia Bhatia. With support from our team of several 14 and 15 year old girls, we raised $650,000 in seven weeks, setting a record for the Los Angeles region and earning the national title of Student Visionaries of the Year! Our team was even featured on Good Day LA and in Forbes Magazine for this inspiring accomplishment.

Looking Ahead

We believe that age should never limit the ability to make a difference. CA Kids Giving Back is more than a philanthropy platform —it’s a movement built on kindness, creativity, and community. We’re so grateful for everyone who has joined us on this journey so far, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Let’s keep giving back, growing together, and proving that kids really can change the world!