One measure of a person鈥檚 generosity 鈥� beyond, say, paying taxes or serving in the military 鈥� 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 鈥渂onds of affection,鈥� to use Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 term, are the results tallied up after each GivingTuesday. This year鈥檚 day of generosity in the U.S. 鈥� now in its 13th year 鈥� 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.
鈥淕enerosity isn鈥檛 just about money 鈥� it鈥檚 about connection and community,鈥� said Asha Curran, GivingTuesday鈥檚 chief executive officer. 鈥淚n a world that can feel increasingly divided, we鈥檙e seeing people unite through simple acts of kindness that have profound ripple effects.鈥�
The percentage of Americans who participated in GivingTuesday was up 7% from last year. 鈥淧eople are weary after the election,鈥� Ms. Curran told The Chronicle of Philanthropy. A national day of giving was 鈥渁 moment for a fractured citizenry to feel like they are coming together.鈥澛�
Giving has so many expressions that it is almost聽impossible to聽calculate. A report released in September by The Generosity Commission acknowledges that Americans 鈥渁re reimagining giving, volunteering, and community before our eyes.鈥� The pandemic lockdown, for example, 鈥済ave rise to spontaneously formed mutual aid networks of volunteers helping neighbors and strangers.鈥�
鈥淢ost people identify as generous and do not believe there is a right or a wrong way for people to practice generosity,鈥� the three-year research study found. While givers say their resources of time and money may be limited, they 鈥渄escribe generosity as boundless.鈥� Even the latest data from GivingTuesday doesn鈥檛 begin to capture it.
