The Generosity Commission

Here's my take on the recent report from The Generosity Commission, and an opportunity for you to find out more about how giving is changing in an upcoming webinar with Ted Grossnickle and Jane Wales on 10/31. We are at a crucial moment for fundraising and philanthropy, friends. Let's seize it.

According to a new, in-depth report published by The Generosity Commission, generosity in the U.S. is declining. The report revealed that fewer American households are donating to or volunteering for charities. At Deep, we were curious to explore the ‘Sentiment Score’ surrounding generosity, i.e. how positively or negatively these terms are perceived in online media. Is generosity seen as a virtuous trait, reflecting genuine care for others and a desire to improve their well-being? Or does it carry more negative sentiment, cynically interpreted as a virtue signalling mechanism? We analysed four key terms: ‘philanthropy’, ‘generosity’, ‘donation’ and ‘altruism’. Our sentiment analysis of all English-language articles over the past three months revealed that these terms are still perceived favourably. On a scale from -100 to +100, these terms scored +65, +45, +7 and 0 respectively. This positive perception is encouraging, especially considering the scale of social challenges, such as global poverty and animal suffering, that charitable giving can help alleviate. It also confirms that the reasons behind this decline in generosity lie elsewhere. According to this Vox article by Rachel Cohen, delays in traditional markers of adulthood, such as marriage or buying a house, decreasing religiosity and declining trust in institutions are the likely culprits. #generosity #charity #volunteering #mediamonitoring

Fabulous op-ed in the The Chronicle of Philanthropy from the unstoppable Armando Zumaya who I got to *finally* meet in person he other night at the The NonProfit Times Top 50 thing. Important and specific recommendations to add to the The Generosity Commission's list, Jane Wales and Mike Gianoni! Rousing call to action: "Let’s challenge the notion that fundraising is something to hide, ignore, or feel uncomfortable about. Let’s say out loud, with no sarcasm, that fundraising is beautiful. Let’s raise up fundraising as a cause unto itself. It’s the engine of philanthropy. We need to help it run." Huzzah! https://lnkd.in/ebgXSXJA

In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Armando Enrique Zumaya of Somos El Poder highlights a recommendation from The Generosity Commission's recent capstone report: “more funding from organized philanthropy for the fundraising capacity of their grantees.” Zumaya offers suggestions on how funders can invest in fundraising itself to help fundraisers excel and make an org's mission more achievable through this crucial support. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKjbk9i7 Read The Generosity Commission's capstone report: https://lnkd.in/ekdM3KRS

The Generosity Commission, a cross-sector project of Giving USA Foundation and The Giving Institute, recently released their landmark report outlining the ways we can bolster giving, volunteerism, and a brighter future for American civil society. We agree that this requires forward-looking leadership and ideas - such as their recommendations to prioritize the energy and ideas of youth, harness the scale of the private sector, and more. https://lnkd.in/gud4HQ_K 

Civic participation is the backbone of a thriving democracy. Despite rising overall charitable giving, fewer Americans are giving and volunteering, reflecting a troubling trend. Jane Wales, Executive Director of the Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation @ Aspen Institute, and Mike Gianoni, President, CEO, & Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Blackbaud, explore the importance of everyday generosity in strengthening our democracy in their latest TIME article. These acts of generosity are essential for building social connections, bridging divides, and mobilizing communities around shared values. Head to the article to dive into The Generosity Commission’s recent capstone report, Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering, and understand the reasons behind the steep decline, including economic precarity, social isolation, and decreased civic trust: https://lnkd.in/d53eZKaW

Philanthropy is incredibly important to me and is something I have made a point to prioritize throughout my career. Most recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Bethany Church Vacation Bible School in Stamford, near our Xerox headquarters. Now, more than ever, is the time to get involved. The Generosity Commission earlier this week outlined key recommendations to address the ongoing #generositycrisis over the past few years. It's on us as leaders to identify the causes that we are passionate about and turn our ideas into actions. For my fellow business leaders looking to inspire a community of giving, both in and out of the workplace, check out some impactful insights and tangible actions from Diane Brady and Mike Gianoni in Fortune: https://lnkd.in/ekzD7WgR

This week, The Generosity Commission published their report, Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering. It shines a light on how the giving landscape is increasingly becoming dominated by large donors, meaning fewer individuals are donating their money, time, and talent. For our institutions to reflect a broad range of perspectives, more individual involvement is needed. Take a look at the full report, which analyzes current trends and offers nine actionable recommendations to inspire and strengthen everyday giving and volunteering with nonprofits: https://lnkd.in/gPVWJuMq #GenerosityCommission #NonprofitNews #NonprofitSector #Nonprofits #Charities

Feeling so energized coming back from the GivingTuesday community leader gathering in Indianapolis! Data shows us that it's a tough time for nonprofits right now. A new report by The Generosity Commission released yesterday finds that small, community-based organizations have been most harmed by the fall in civic engagement. These small and local nonprofits are the ones we support, amplify, and partner with at Spur Local. Being able to connect with other community leaders from across the country to exchange resources and brainstorm approaches to our collective challenges is invaluable. From speaking about partnerships with Will Esposito and Teresa Mardesen, to volunteering at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana with Rebecca Jacobs and Sonali Ratnasinghe, to enjoying dinner with Larissa Willison, Tina Terrell Brown, MBA, Marjorie Maas, and Matt Guardabascio, to learning from Mojo Up Marketing + Media and interpreting data with Samir Khan and Annie Collins, and to seeing both new and familiar faces... this has been a lovely and truly inspiring 48 hours! My biggest thanks to Celeste Flores, Victoria Leonhardt, and Staci for helping us not just survive, but thrive ❤️

A major new multi-million dollar report on the state of giving and volunteering in America was released on Tuesday by The Generosity Commission For Vox I covered the report's central findings, and how they fit in with broader debates and questions in philanthropy today #nonprofits #volunteering #charity #giving #generositycommission #philanthropy