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Oct 29, 2006

"The cultivation of generosity is the beginning of spiritual awakening. Generosity has tremendous force because it arises from an inner quality of letting go. Being able to let go, to give up, to renounce, and to give generously all spring from the same source, and when we practice generosity ... we open up these qualities within ourselves." --Sharon Salzberg

American Generosity, Surveyed

A Harris Interactive online survey conducted in April 2006 had over 2500 Americans responding to a series of questions about Americans’ understanding of the sources and importance of generosity. The results? The home is the best teacher of generosity, with a helpful boost from the tax code. Most respondents thought that the family was the most important source of generosity, while nearly three out of four also agreed that tax deductions for charitable contributions provide a major incentive to be generous. American “mediating institutions” such as non-profit organizations, schools, and religious groups also play an important role in promoting generosity, according to the respondents. Full survey results follow.