A woman walks past the LOVE statue, a popular tourist attraction in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, Japan, October 17, 2017. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

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The proliferation of self-help, positive psychology, and emphasis on physical and mental wellness has created a “happiness industry.” The books, podcasts, newsletters, webinars, and workshops on happiness make it feel as a goal to accomplish. Given these uncertain times with the economy and the political climate combined with the mental health crisis, polarization, and divisiveness, it makes sense that people want to know how to be happy and find fulfillment.

Arthur Brooks is the author of “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” Brooks is a contributor writer in “The Atlantic” and hosts a podcast focused on his “How to Build a Life” column with an emphasis on happiness.

He argues “generosity is a key ingredient in a ‘virtuous cycle’ that makes people healthier, happier, and even wealthier.” Based on his research, there is a "Helper’s High" where the act of giving stimulates areas in the brain associated with pleasure and rewards.

The 300% Return: Research cited by Brooks indicates there can be a 300% return. “For every $1 donated to charity, the donor receives roughly $3.75 in increased income. Giving promotes trust, social connection, and can reflect success. Brooks also believes generosity is a habit. Behaving in generous ways (including giving time and kindness) increases self-efficacy. Givers feel more in control of their lives which leads to a greater sense of happiness.

Learning The Habit Of Giving

The Science of Generosity initiative at the University of Notre Dame is a great source for research about the role of generosity in people’s lives. Research revealed these outcomes:

• Generosity is a learned character trait--a basic orientation to life. The benefits of generosity can vary: money, recognition, time, attention, aid, encouragement, and more but the gift enhances the well-being of the receiver and the health and well-being of the giver.
• If generosity can be learned, then it also can be taught—and communities of faith can play a key role. Overall, faith communities have a positive effect on the generosity of those formed in their traditions. Generosity is one of the values in which formation is essential for growth for themselves and their children.

I interviewed Nikki Syverson, owner of Isaacson-Syverson Consulting about giving patterns. Her firm conducts a giving report. In their 2026 Central Iowa State of Philanthropic Giving report, donors age 65+ expressed the need for the next generation of philanthropists to step in, stating they have done their share in giving both of time and treasure.

Syverson shared that while Millennials and Generation Z have now become the largest population of adults, Boomers are still the most significant sources of philanthropic giving. According to the latest report by Giving USA and Cerulli Associates, Millennials are showing notable growth in their contributions, outpacing Gen X donors. Over the next 20 years, the Great Wealth Transfer will occur in which experts predict nearly $124 trillion will transfer to heirs and nonprofits.

A Radically Generous Experiment

For a recent article, I explained how I interviewed Jerry Foster, author and the founder of the Foster Group, a financial planning and asset management firm for my podcast “Becoming a Sage.” Foster told me how he has been intentional about sharing intergenerational generosity within his family. He practices three types of generosity – Routine, Random, and Radical. Radical generosity, he explained, is generosity that’s outside of your comfort zone. Such gifts have a larger impact.

My husband and I decided to practice radical generosity. We have three sons and two are married. We gave each couple and our third son an envelope with a $1000 check and instructions. They could not spend it on themselves or each other. They could not save it. They were instructed to distribute the money in any amount to people or organizations they choose. At the end of the year, their gift to us was to share as a family how they allocated their money. I promised to write an article about how this exercise worked out.

Teaching The Habit Of Giving

One couple divided the gift in half and gave half to their faith community and half to a not-for-profit music school their daughters attend. The other couple donated all of it to a local women’s shelter and resource center. Since our third son is very involved in Rotary International, he gave the entire amount to his local chapter because Rotary supports many great causes.

We asked each family what they thought or felt when we gave them the “assignment.” Responses included:

• We were intrigued and inspired.
• It was a creative challenge to think outside of the box.
• We were grateful for the opportunity and challenge.
• We appreciated the anticipation of making a difference.

Another question we asked them was: What kind of conversations did you have? The responses included questions as well as insights:

• It led to lots of deep conversations. How can we make the biggest impact? Do we focus locally or expand it out? Do we divide it among organizations? Are there organizations in which we want to get more involved, and is this the perfect time to do it?
• We decided we wanted to make a difference in our local community.
• We did research on issues in the community.
• We talked about where we are philosophically aligned and then philanthropically align that with our philosophy and belief system.

We wanted to know how they felt about the outcome of giving the money away. They made these comments:

• We felt a lot of pride and satisfaction making the contributions.
• It was a gratifying experience.
• We felt great investing in our local community.
• All the positive emotions from the experiment prompted conversations about how to get even more involved in our community, such as where we might want to volunteer.
• On a smaller level, as a family, we thought the family-oriented reflection and discussion to be rewarding and illuminating. A good way to deepen our own shared values and connection.
• It was a bonding experience as a couple because we talked about our own values in the process and what was important to us.
• Our awareness was heightened about community issues and how we can try to help solve them.

What We Learned

It was clear to my husband and me that our children and their spouses made intentional decisions based on research and discussion. It was a good exercise for us and for them and we will do this again next year. We believe we made an impression on them about the benefits of investing in organizations and causes important to them. It was also validated from the excited way they answered our questions that our assignment had given them a “Helpers High.” They felt good about their decisions and the difference they were making in their communities.

Since the research on happiness includes being generous, it makes sense to make generosity part of your legacy—what you want to leave behind. What examples are you demonstrating the value of being generous? How might you teach your adult children about giving back even in times of economic uncertainty? If you want to feel more happiness, a good place to start is to think about helping people beyond yourself.