The Generosity Commission

Over the last decade, we have seen declines in the number of people donating to charity or volunteering, changes in the demographics of participation, and growing questions about which actions and which communities get counted or left out in traditional measures of giving and volunteering.

In response to the challenges facing generosity in America, leadership from The Giving Institute and Giving USA Foundation began to investigate the idea of a commission that could address these concerns. Out of this exploratory effort, the Generosity Commission was born.

The Generosity Commission is a nonpartisan group of individuals from across the charitable sector with a mission to celebrate and support Americans’ spirit of generosity as expressed through everyday giving, volunteering, and other forms of civic engagement. Jane Wales, Vice President of the Aspen Institute and Executive Director of the Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation, serves as Co-Chair.

Visit The Generosity Commission Website


The Generosity Commission’s Work

Through research and conversations online and in person, the Generosity Commission seeks to contribute to national understanding about how individual givers and volunteers are reimagining generosity in powerful and positive ways, strengthening our society and democracy in the process. The Generosity Commission believes that the more Americans explore the power of generosity and the role they can play in building a resilient society, the more likely they are to give time or treasure—in the knowledge that their generosity matters not only to their recipients, but to the health of our society overall.

The Generosity Commission will conclude its work in Fall 2024 with recommendations focused on ways that the business, nonprofit, and policy sectors can support and enable everyday giving and volunteering. Ultimately, the Commission seeks to foster a culture of individual and collective generosity in the face of the social and economic challenges our society faces today.

Learn more about the Commission

Learn more about the Commission’s research