The 5 Generosity Expressions

The Generosity Expressions framework is inspired by multiple years of research examining the generous behavior of thousands of U.S Christians across every generation from Gen Z to Elders. We discovered that generosity can be simply defined as “giving to others”. Although this is a very brief definition, it finds a wide array of creative expressions from one person to the next. Through our research we know that people tend to be generous through 5 primary expressions, and each person’s “mix” is different.

Gifts

These people look to give tangible, non-monetary things to meet a need, celebrate an occasion, demonstrate care, or convey appreciation and thanks. Gifts can also include offering up your talents and abilities to the people around you. Donations such food, clothes, and other resources to organizations may also be a part of this expression.

Volunteering/Service

These people often give of their time, and physical and mental energy to others through spontaneous acts or scheduled activity. Volunteering-service may be one-time or an ongoing commitment.

Emotional-Relational Support

These people give to others through things like: compassionate listening, encouragement, and being present for people in their need. They place high importance on how other people are feeling and their overall well-being.

Monetary Support

These people often financially contribute to causes and people in need. They view money as a great tool to steward responsibly because they believe in the positive change it can create.

Hospitality

These people often make it a priority to help others feel welcome, accepted, and connected. They help people feel comfortable and valued, which can take place in any setting; this can include hosting someone at home, but it can be much more.

Your Personal Profile

Being a generous person is much more than how many dollars you give and the number of hours you serve. The Generosity Expressions Profile is designed to focus on the unique and creative ways you live generously.

Creating your profile lets you see your assessment results and gain inspiration for how to live generously in your day to day life. You will also have the chance to join our 7 day generosity challenge! See more on that below.

The 7 Day Generosity Challenge

Each day you will receive a small challenge based on one of the generosity expressions. To help you make the most of each challenge you will also receive a little background information based on our research and tips on how to live out that expression in your daily life.

You can try each challenge on your own or share the experience with friends and family. The 7 day challenge aims to help you to explore new ways of spreading generosity with your loved ones and your community!