Are fewer people really becoming less generous? Or are we simply measuring generosity too narrowly? Traditional charitable giving may be declining, but crowdfunding, mutual aid, giving circles, and everyday acts of generosity reveal a broader philanthropic impulse. The challenge for nonprofits may not be convincing people to care, but recognizing all the ways people already demonstrate that they do. Perhaps philanthropy isn't broken; perhaps our definition of it is.
Read MoreA simple conversation about a family in crisis led to a first: giving through a crowdfunding page. No research, no analysis – just a few clicks and a moment of generosity when it mattered most. That experience mirrors a growing national trend. Crowdfunding has become a fast, personal way for people to respond to urgent needs, even as questions about trust and fees linger. For nonprofits, the lesson isn’t to compete with these platforms, but to learn from them: generosity often begins with immediacy, clarity, and the ease of saying “yes.”
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