Generosity Commission Launches Report on the Extraordinary Power of Everyday Giving and Volunteering

Research and recommendations elevate the critical role everyday generosity plays in our civic life and provide direction for protecting and promoting this singular asset

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Generosity Commission released its capstone report of research and recommendations today. Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering is a rigorous analysis of generosity as expressed in everyday volunteering and giving today—and a set of concrete recommendations that call leaders across the nonprofit, funder, business, and policy sectors to take action to protect and promote the future of generosity.

The Generosity Commission was launched in 2021 in response to one of the most significant trends reshaping civil society in the United States over the last several decades: while the aggregate amount of money flowing to nonprofits continues to grow, there is a decline, observable across multiple surveys, in the proportion of Americans who give to and volunteer with nonprofit organizations. Put simply: Dollars and hours are coming from fewer people—a source of risk to nonprofits and the health of our institutions more broadly.

Nonprofits are more than just powerful platforms that make our communities better places to live: They are a bedrock of our society.

"A robust civil society is American democracy's singular asset, playing a role in communities across the country and on a national and even international level," says Jane Wales, co-chair of the Generosity Commission and Vice President of the Aspen Institute. "The organizations, associations, and networks it comprises are where democratic decision-making is often practiced, shared problems are solved and community assets are stewarded. It is powered by engaged individuals—who express their generosity in their everyday giving and volunteering. In the process they build trust, community, and the capacity to self-govern."

Leaders from across the charitable sector joined the Generosity Commission under the shared belief that a broad base of participation in giving and volunteering is an intrinsic social good that benefits individuals, communities, and the country. Task Forces made up of a diverse set of experts working in research, policy, faith, and communications brought additional insight and guidance to areas critical to the Commission's work. 

Through commissioned research, expert testimony from scholars and practitioners, and conversations with everyday people, the Commission developed an important snapshot of giving and volunteering with nonprofits today and proposed a set of recommendations to address declines in the number of people giving and volunteering.

Recommendations in the report include:

• Ideas for how fundraisers, funders, and business leaders can better promote giving and volunteering;
• Opportunities to shape and inspire generosity through culture;
• Calls to better understand and measure diverse forms of generosity;
• Policies at the local, state, and federal levels that can further encourage giving and volunteering with nonprofits.

Nonprofit organizations, funders, policy makers, and business leaders all have a role to play.

"Supporting everyday generosity strengthens companies and communities alike," says Mike Gianoni, president, CEO and vice chairman of the board of directors at Blackbaud and Generosity Commission co-chair. "As conveners of everyday givers and volunteers, whether through their employees, constituents, or supporters, leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors have a powerful platform to inspire and encourage individuals to take action in support of the causes and efforts that matter most to them."

The report comes at a critical time for inspiring civic engagement in the United States, highlighting the essential tie—backed by data—between generosity and democracy. Research conducted by the University of Maryland Do Good Institute and funded by the Generosity Commission found that volunteering increases voter turnout probability by 12.0% and giving increases voter turnout probability by 10.1%.

The shape of generosity continues to change. The Commission's report invites a wider public conversation about the role everyday giving and volunteering plays in society and the responsibility different sectors have to uphold and encourage it.

About the Generosity Commission
The Generosity Commission is an independent project of the Giving Institute, whose mission is to actively champion thought leadership that empowers generosity, and Giving USA Foundation™, whose mission is to create a world where accurate data and objective analyses inspire generosity by all and for all. For more information and to download the report, visit www.TheGenerosityCommission.org. 

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SOURCE The Generosity Commission