As the 2015 giving year closes out, there will be no doubt some winners and losers. Some charities will feel like their coffers are full while others are struggling for solutions.

But the climate is changing. Few recognized it, but it happened. Out of nowhere it seemed that thousands of charities sprung up overnight. The number of non-profit organizations has swelled to over 1.8 million. As a result, the number of choices has increased.

As the number of choices increased, the model of sending a letter in the mail with a response card has grown wearisome and transactional.

More importantly, the mindset of the giver has changed. It’s not just about putting a check in the mail. The mindset is about producing change, making a difference, and creating impact. People want to make their world different.

And in that equation, people are increasingly realize the value of giving in their own lives. That value is named generosity.

Let me explain. Giving is often an act: write a check, swipe a credit card, and drop a $20 in the plate—a transaction. But the idea of generosity is about a way of living. It’s a higher standard than just a transaction.

A generous life is infectious. It makes our world better. It makes me better. It’s about creating smiles in the lives of others, but mine as well.

Click to Tweet

That’s a big change: moving from giving to generosity. It’s about a segment of my life to a way of life. It’s about how I will influence the world in the way that I live, give, move and touch others. It’s a noble idea, and a great direction in 2016.

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published December 29, 2015

Topics: Generosity

Charitable GivingGenerosity