American Generosity

This accessibly written book presents a picture of generosity that is unique in its breadth. American Generosity is distinguished by its comprehensive approach to answering the what, how much, who, where, and why of giving. The authors consider multiple forms of generosity. They focus on three especially important forms of giving: donating money, volunteering time, and taking political action. But they also look at activities like giving blood and bodily organs, material possessions, relational attention, and participation in environmental activism.

Their striking and sometimes counterintuitive findings are based on data from the Science of Generosity initiative, which combines a nationally representative survey of adult Americans with in-depth interviews and ethnographies. From the interviews, case studies are selected to illustrate core themes. The analyses examine multiple dimensions of resources, social status, regional cultural norms, different approaches to giving, social-psychological orientation, and the relational contexts of generosity.

The authors conclude that giving is supported by "circles of generosity," which ripple outward in their reach to giving targets. The practical implications include tips for readers who want to increase their own giving, and for parents modeling giving to their children, spouses desiring alignment in their giving, and friends and community members seeking to support other people's giving. Also on offer are explicit fundraising ideas for nonprofits, foundations, and religious leaders.

In American Generosity we find a broad yet nuanced explanation of giving that transcends the usual categories of sociological study to address the simple but confounding question about charity-who gives and why?