Philanthropy plays an essential role in meeting needs that are not fulfilled by government and the corporate sector. Its importance has recently been underscored by the health, economic, educational, and cultural needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. If philanthropic behavior is to continue and become more widespread, programs and resources should be dedicated to the development of philanthropic values. Instilling prosocial values is valuable not only for their own sake, but also can help to address pressing social problems and can provide opportunities for individuals to feel a part of the collective social enterprise. In service of this goal, philanthropy education programs build on identity formation to teach participants both the importance of being philanthropic and how to make informed decisions about giving. Educational programs targeted towards adolescents, in particular, have the potential to be powerful vehicles for linking identity, values, and giving. The first paper outlines the conceptual underpinning of the dissertation by describing how philanthropy operates in the United States and the social benefits of widespread engagement with it, not limited only to the wealthy. It argues that philanthropy education, a type of experiential service-learning, can lead people of all economic statuses to increase their participation and intentionality about charitable giving. The second paper reports the results of a survey conducted with teenaged participants in philanthropy education programs, in comparison with a sample of teens who were not in such programs, to understand the development of group and role identity relevant to charitable attitudes and behavior. The study found that when adolescents are engaged with cultural traditions, given opportunities to donate, and helped to appreciate communal structures, youth philanthropy programs lead to a strengthening of their philanthropic identity. The study was conducted with Jewish adolescents; although a unique population, they are part of a community that has a history of promoting philanthropic behavior. The third paper examines how philanthropic values that develop during adolescence and are tied to identities continue to manifest during emerging adulthood. It does so by analyzing surveys of 18-26 year-olds who were alumni of Jewish-sponsored youth philanthropy programs as well as non-participants; these respondents were paired using propensity score matching. The empirical studies employ non-parametric and regression modeling to assess relationships between identity and sociodemographic characteristics with philanthropy. The dissertation describes the phenomenon of philanthropic inequality, whereby non-wealthy households are "crowded out" of the philanthropic process. It contends that philanthropic inequality can be reduced by engaging people, even before they become adults, in philanthropy education programs that use identity to encourage the development of giving as a value. The findings of the empirical studies provide support for this argument, as philanthropy education programs are related to increased propensity toward giving among those whose demographic, economic, and educational characteristics would have otherwise been correlated with lower levels of giving. The studies also find that among those who gave money, youth philanthropy participants are more likely than non-participants to perceive themselves as "donors." However, respondents see their identities as justifications for prosocial behavior they are already inclined to engage in, rather than as the driving force for those behaviors. This present research contributes to our understanding of philanthropy and the development of philanthropic behavior. It identifies important strategies in promoting the desired behaviors, including building connections to a prospective donor's interests, life experiences, and similarities to the potential beneficiary. The interactions between education and philanthropic behavior further highlight that participation in a philanthropy education program can minimize some effects of economic differences. The dissertation's findings suggest the need for practitioners and supporters of philanthropy education to position that work more explicitly within service learning and civics education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]