Flexing the Muscle of Generosity

The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.

— Proverbs 22:9

Like any other financial skill, generosity doesn’t always come naturally. If you’ve never had money of your own before, you may not have had any opportunity to give. You may like the idea of giving to charity but not have a plan for seeing it through. Or you may simply not know how to get started.

That’s why we recommend starting with small, simple steps toward living a more generous life. As you grow in your relationship with money and build up the muscle of giving, you will be able to practice ever greater generosity in the future.

Where to Begin

The first step to living more generously is simply to pay attention to the world around you and see what matters to you.

Where you see injustice or suffering, there is often an opportunity to help make a difference. If you are passionate about something, whether it’s animals, libraries, underprivileged children or anything else, you can find charities and organizations that can help those causes.

Attuning to the needs of those around you will also help you find opportunities to lend a helping hand in your community.

Three Ways to Give

When it comes to practicing generosity, you are not limited only to how much you can contribute financially. We like to think of three categories of generosity: time, treasure, and talent.

• You can donate your time by volunteering.
• You can donate your treasure by giving cash or assets.
• You can donate your talent by providing knowledge and services to others.

The season of your life may affect what category is best suited to you. When you’re young and just starting your career, you may not have much money, but you might have ample time to donate toward a cause. As your career gets more established, you may have less free time but more money you can put toward a cause. And later in life, your knowledge and expertise may become your most valuable asset.

Respect the season of life you are in and look for ways to give radically within your means.

Tips for Getting Started

As you begin your journey to a life of greater generosity, here are a few other tips for success:

• Even if it’s just $5 a month, get in the habit of setting a little money aside from each paycheck toward a cause that matters to you.
• Practice kindness and generosity in small, casual ways. Pay for the order of the person behind you in the drive-through, or tip generously on a special meal.
• Get your friends to join in. The power of your generosity is multiplied, and it can be a lot of fun to volunteer together and work on a common goal.
• Take a few minutes to research any organization you plan to work with to ensure their goals align with yours and that they use donations responsibly. A site like GuideStar or Charity Navigator can help you vet an organization for legitimacy.

Living generously blesses the giver and receiver by sparking joy, fighting greed, and creating a mindset of gratitude and selflessness. By establishing generous habits today, you lay the foundation of a healthy relationship with wealth and money for a lifetime.