The Currency of Generosity Sam Watts November 14, 2024 493 Think Philanthropically Money is but one venue for generosity. Kindness is an even more valuable currency. – Alan Cohen We are headed into the end-of-year “giving season.” This is the time of year when many of us make donations to organizations that we elect to support. Many people associate philanthropy with significant acts of financial largesse. A donor might make a big donation to an important cause and obtain well-deserved recognition. We also tend to think of smaller acts of generosity like paying for the coffee of the person behind us in the drive thru or giving a toonie to the person who is begging on the sidewalk. As much as there are a variety of ways to take action it is my view that philanthropy is rooted in the currency of generosity. “When we make a small or large donation to help an important cause it is a powerful act.” In this column I want to make a case for this new currency. It is far more interesting than Bitcoin! Psychologist Kelly McGonigal’s research concluded that humans frequently experience feelings of courage when we connect to others. We tend to seek out support from others. This support, this generosity of spirit, provides a cushion, protecting us and helping us cope. The obvious conclusion is that we all need strong human connections and we all benefit from generous actions. “When we generously support efforts to respond to people in need we are helping to transform lives.” The dictionary definition of generosity includes words like kindness and helpfulness. We can probably think of people in our lives who exhibit these character traits. It could be the friend who is always available to help you repair something or the person who generously gave their time to be by your side when you went through a health crisis. Concretely, most of us recognize that generosity is foundational to the experience of community. How does that fit with philanthropy? When we make a small or large donation to help an important cause it is a powerful act. We are acting with concern and helpfulness even though we are rarely in a position to know precisely how it will impact the person who receives the gift. Donors and those who selflessly volunteer time and energy don’t often get to see the end result of the good work they do. For example, in our local organization dozens of dedicated volunteers sort and package grocery products that are provided for free to thousands of people each week. It is tempting to see that volunteer activity as a nice thing to do – but the effort of sorting through carrots or tomatoes actually changes the lives of those who benefit from receiving the vegetables. It isn’t just about the vegetables! The people who sort them would say that they benefit too. “If we provide the means for local community organizations to accelerate their efforts, then we are exponentially increasing our impact.” The same is even more true about our financial donations. When we generously support efforts to respond to people in need we are helping to transform lives. If we provide the means for local community organizations to accelerate their efforts, then we are exponentially increasing our impact. It is amazing how far a little bit of generosity can go! It is even more amazing to recognize how we can collectively make a huge difference by joining together to support worthy causes. So, as we enter the “giving season”, let’s all be extraordinarily generous. Sam Watts serves as the CEO of Welcome Hall Mission www.welcomehallmission.com He serves on several non-profit boards and is an appointed member of the National Housing Council of Canada. He is the author of Good Work…Done Better www.goodworkdonebetter.com
