Understanding Generosity Across Cultures

Editor's Note: Since 2018, The Patterson Foundation has collaborated with Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (LFSOP) through its Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative. Recognizing the value of academic and professional educational experiences offered by LFSOP, the Foundation is providing opportunities for its staff and consultants to enroll in LFSOP graduate and professional development courses through its Tuition/Fees Reimbursement Program. TPFers, including Lyndsey Smith, Carrie Miley, Alicia Exantus, Josephine Eisenberg, and Stacy Sternberg, are pushing beyond their respective professional and personal comfort levels and are successfully completing challenging LFSOP courses.

One of the most meaningful parts of this semester for me was the interview assignment in my Civil Society course. Instead of just reading about philanthropy and civil society, I got to talk to two women in my life who have lived in different cultural contexts, one connected to Lebanon and the other to Puerto Rico. What I expected to be a simple assignment actually ended up deepening something I already believed about generosity.

Going into this class, I never really thought philanthropy was just about money or big organizations. I’ve always believed it can look different depending on the situation, sometimes formal, sometimes informal, sometimes public, sometimes private, but at its core, it’s about supporting others and building connections. This assignment didn’t change that belief, but it definitely strengthened it and gave me real examples of what that looks like in different cultures.

Through both interviews, it became really clear that generosity isn’t one size fits all. In the Lebanese perspective, giving felt like a responsibility. Helping family or others in need wasn’t optional, it was expected and tied to religion, values, and doing the right thing. It was also done quietly, without attention or recognition. In the Puerto Rican perspective, generosity showed up through strong community support, especially during difficult times like hurricanes. People step in immediately, sharing food, opening their homes, and checking on neighbors without waiting for outside help.

What stood out to me most is that in both cultures, people give even when they don’t have much. That really reinforced what I’ve always believed, philanthropy isn’t about having extra resources, it’s about showing up for others. It’s about relationships, care, and a sense of responsibility to the people around you.

This assignment also helped connect what we’ve been learning in class to real life. When we talked about Marcel Mauss and the idea that giving creates relationships and obligations, it didn’t fully click for me at first. But after hearing these interviews, it made so much more sense. In both cases, generosity wasn’t a one-time act; it was ongoing and tied to relationships and expectations.

It also made me reflect more on how philanthropy works in the United States. Compared to what I heard, it feels more structured and individual. We often focus on large-scale impact, like policies, systems, and measurable outcomes. But in these interviews, the focus was much more local and immediate, helping family, supporting neighbors, and keeping communities strong in everyday ways.

Overall, this experience made the course feel real for me. It wasn’t just theories anymore, it was people, stories, and lived experiences. More than anything, it confirmed something I already believed, generosity exists everywhere, but the way it shows up is shaped by culture, values, and lived experience.