Really?
What a counterintuitive title for a message on generosity. At the mere suggestion of generosity, we anticipate a monetary solicitation and instinctively look to ensure we firmly fastened our purse’s clasp. However, money may be the last element of generosity.
First, Why…
Generosity is alternatively considered a personal obligation or a byproduct of gratitude, but it also has a practical justification.
You have heard, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” With that saying as your motivation, you will approach philanthropy with as much enthusiasm as your childhood chores of washing dishes and taking out the trash. Duty may beget some action but will not sustain your best efforts.
Charitable acts are a natural response to gratitude. Can you be truly grateful without sharing? When you appreciate what you have, you are motivated to provide others with something they can be thankful for without any requirement or expectation of return, including appreciation.
For those not susceptible to emotional prodding and require a pragmatic reason, sharing your resources increases the return on them. The food and shelter we can provide others from our surplus is far more beneficial than using it to procure higher quality wine. A friend explained, “I learned to distinguish my wants from someone else’s needs.”
How
Buying popcorn for every neighborhood kid’s fundraiser is neighborly and kind, but the most effective generosity starts in your heart, not your purse. Take a personal inventory to determine the cause that ignites your passion, i.e., child safety, the environment, church, food insecurity, or endangered animals. Ask your friends, tour a facility, or volunteer for a project. Your heartstrings, more than your brain, will direct your decision.
What
Money is necessary to keep the lights on at the homeless shelter, but our time and talent are far more meaningful.
Ask if the boy fondly remembers playing catch at the park with his Big Brother mentor or the remote-controlled car under the Christmas tree supplied by an anonymous donor. How about you? Was it your values-instilling scoutmaster or the GI Joe all-terrain vehicle you received for your tenth birthday?
You may be in a season with professional and family responsibilities when you cannot volunteer regularly but can write a check. In these times, you add meaning to your dollars by touring the homeless shelter, delivering jars of peanut butter to the food bank, or volunteering for children’s reading hour at the local library. These small acts may pale in comparison to your dollars, but they build crucial connectivity.
Another valuable and time-efficient form of support is spreading the word about your cause to your family, friends, and colleagues.
Finally…
For a generosity message, I envisioned invoking the Old Testament instruction concerning tithing and having the post write itself like Chat GPT. Realizing you might be resistant to the imposition of a rule and equate tithing with a mortgage payment, I decided on another approach.
There is a method to the madness in the order of this message. You can write a check dispassionately but not give of yourself without emotionally investing. Once you personally invest, you cannot help but share your treasure in the right amount.
Your heart is far more effective in loosening your purse strings than any admonition.
I could add “giving makes you feel good” as a reason, but the better part of the equation is doing good.
Are you worried your giving might exceed your capacity? It must be unlikely as we rarely hear someone regret a charitable gift. Regretfully, senior citizens fleeced by television preachers are victims, not donors.1 Even if you lose everything, you can take comfort in knowing what you gave was put to good use when what you retained was lost.
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Generosity is investing and extending the impact of our resources beyond ourselves. Search within to find the cause that stirs your passion, and that passion will inspire you to the generous action needed.
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1At a minimum, consult Charity Navigator for its rating of your intended recipient.