Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.

Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
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Everyday Giving and Volunteering

Supporting conversations on how generosity builds community and trust.

Civil society has long been a core strength of American democracy. Through local organizations, associations, and networks, individuals come together to solve shared problems, steward community resources, and build the trust that makes self-governance possible. At the center of this work are everyday givers and volunteers—engaged citizens whose participation fosters connection, purpose, and community well-being.

Yet their numbers have declined. According to the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, roughly 20 million households stopped giving between 2010 and 2016. While total dollars donated have increased, they come from fewer givers. The same is true of volunteer hours.

In response, The Giving Institute and the Giving USA Foundation launched the Generosity Commission—a group of leaders across the social sector—charged with understanding what these trends mean for our civic life and how we might reverse them. Jane Wales, Vice President of the Aspen Institute and Executive Director of PSI, served as co-chair.

The Commission’s final report, Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential (September 2024), affirms the vital role that everyday generosity plays in a healthy democracy and offers nine actionable recommendations to increase giving and volunteering across the country.

Explore the full report and its recommendations.

But the report, its findings, and its sobering statistics are not the final word.

PSI’s core initiatives are designed to help bolster and illuminate the role played by everyday givers and volunteers, and the local organizations, associations, and networks they join and support. This includes:

In the future, PSI hopes to shine a light on the everyday givers and volunteers themselves through:

Sparking Conversation: In-person conversations, hosted in partnership with service organizations, community foundations, and nonprofits with local convening power, on the role everyday givers and volunteers can and do play in building societal resilience.

Harvesting and Retelling Stories of Generosity: PSI believes it takes relatable stories in which others can see themselves to help spark generosity. We hope to work with a network of producers and podcasters to create three-minute “short features” for radio and longer form (15–20 minute) podcasts for sharing on social media.