A peek into ‘boundless’ generosity
One measure of a person’s generosity – beyond, say, paying taxes or serving in the military – is in everyday donations of time or treasure to others. Helping a neighbor. Rescuing a distant relative from ruin. Sending money to strangers in need. Or, after Hurricane Helene flooded western North Carolina, the thousands of volunteers from across the United States fixing up entire communities for weeks.
Perhaps the best metric of these “bonds of affection,” to use Abraham Lincoln’s term, are the results tallied up after each GivingTuesday. This year’s day of generosity in the U.S. – now in its 13th year – provides a broad snapshot of American selflessness.
The event on Dec. 3 saw an increased percentage in donations from last year (16%) that was higher than the increase in consumer spending on Black Friday (10.6%) and Cyber Monday (10.2%). In other words, goodwill beat out goodies, an outcome that befits the deeper, spiritual meaning of the coming Christmas season.
Yet hidden in the data was a 4% increase in volunteering. This was a hopeful sign after years of hand-wringing by nonprofits that Americans, in an age of social isolation and declining trust in institutions, are increasingly avoiding unpaid activities in service to others.
“Generosity isn’t just about money – it’s about connection and community,” said Asha Curran, GivingTuesday’s chief executive officer. “In a world that can feel increasingly divided, we’re seeing people unite through simple acts of kindness that have profound ripple effects.”
The percentage of Americans who participated in GivingTuesday was up 7% from last year. “People are weary after the election,” Ms. Curran told The Chronicle of Philanthropy. A national day of giving was “a moment for a fractured citizenry to feel like they are coming together.”
Giving has so many expressions that it is almost impossible to calculate. A report released in September by The Generosity Commission acknowledges that Americans “are reimagining giving, volunteering, and community before our eyes.” The pandemic lockdown, for example, “gave rise to spontaneously formed mutual aid networks of volunteers helping neighbors and strangers.”
“Most people identify as generous and do not believe there is a right or a wrong way for people to practice generosity,” the three-year research study found. While givers say their resources of time and money may be limited, they “describe generosity as boundless.” Even the latest data from GivingTuesday doesn’t begin to capture it.
