Dr. Jeremy Beer’s study of American society over the last 200 years, overlaid with psychology research and statistics about American charitable giving, has brought about his recent book: The Quest for Belonging.

The book directly advises nonprofit and fundraising leaders, though it just as much informs the everyday giver. This week on HeightsCast, Beer helps us see that charitable giving at its best is not a distant act of beneficence but an intimate act of community. It allows those who participate to become more rooted in the reality of social belonging, making for a healthier society in more ways than one.

Chapters:

• 3:56 American cultural tradition of “association”
• 7:39 Four pillars of civil society
• 9:04 American society, in particular
• 16:53 Gradual decline of American association, of belonging
• 21:33 Giving and religious affiliation
• 25:04 Giving and localism
• 28:02 Giving as a democratic exercise
• 31:31 Nonprofits have a role in belonging
• 33:50 The goods of associating ourselves
• 34:36 To whom do you owe?
• 41:07 Giving and the Catholic tradition

Links:

• The Quest for Belonging: How the Most Effective Nonprofit Leaders Understand the Psychology of Giving by Jeremy Beer
• Givers, Doers, and Thinkers, Jeremy Beer’s podcast
• A Spirituality of Fundraising by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Featured Opportunities:

• Fathers Conference at The Heights School (November 2, 2024)
• The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024)