50 giving quotes to re-energize your nonprofit community

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.

“Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.

“Giving does not only precede receiving; it is the reason for it. It is in giving that we receive.

“It’s easier to take than to give. It’s nobler to give than to take. The thrill of taking lasts a day. The thrill of giving lasts a lifetime.

“No one has ever become poor from giving.

“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.

“Money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love, or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.

“Sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.

“Sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.

“Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.

“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

“Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.

“He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.

“The next time you want to withhold your help, or your love, or your support for another for whatever the reason, ask yourself a simple question: do the reasons you want to withhold it reflect more on them or on you? And which reasons do you want defining you forevermore?

“The most precious thing I have to give is my time.

“It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

“Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.

“The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

“As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.

“Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.

“We are not put on this earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are always there for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.

“Not until the creation and maintenance of decent conditions of life for all people are recognized and accepted as a common obligation of all people and all countries—not until then shall we, with a certain degree of justification, be able to speak of humankind as civilized.

“There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.

“If you’re in the luckiest one percent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 percent.

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.

“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.

“Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same—with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead.

“While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.

“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.

“What virtue is there in a man who demonstrates goodness because he has been bred to it? It is his habit from youth. But a man who has known unkindness and want, for him to be kind and charitable to those who have been the cause of his misfortunes, that is a virtuous man.

“Love cannot remain by itself—it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.

“Wealth isn’t always measured in dollar signs. We each have time, talent, and creativity, all of which can be powerful forces for positive change. Share your blessings in whatever form they come and to whatever level you have been blessed.

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.

“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service.

“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.