# Magnanimous (magnanimo.us) > A practical, well-sourced guide to generosity, giving and kindness. Independent, ad-free guides for US readers on charitable giving, food banks and community food sharing, everyday kindness, volunteering, and the idea of magnanimity. Every statistic is linked to its primary source. Last updated 2026-10-20. Not financial, tax or legal advice. ## Giving smart - [Giving smart (section index)](https://magnanimo.us/giving-smart/): Statistics, charity vetting, taxes, donor-advised funds and getting more good from every dollar. - [How much Americans give: charitable giving statistics for 2025](https://magnanimo.us/charitable-giving-statistics/): Americans gave an estimated $617.2 billion in 2025, per Giving USA 2026. See who gives, where the money goes, and why the number of donors keeps shrinking. - [How to vet a charity in 15 minutes, and spot the scams](https://magnanimo.us/how-to-vet-a-charity/): A practical checklist for researching a charity before you donate: rating sites, the IRS search tool, Form 990s, the overhead myth, and FTC charity-scam red flags. - [Donor-advised funds vs. giving directly: which fits you?](https://magnanimo.us/donor-advised-funds/): What a donor-advised fund is, how the IRS treats it, the latest DAF numbers, and a side-by-side comparison with writing checks to charities directly. - [Charitable tax deductions: the basics, and what changes in 2026](https://magnanimo.us/charitable-tax-deductions/): How charitable deductions work under IRS rules: qualified charities, receipts, the $250 and $500 thresholds, IRA QCDs, and the new 2026 non-itemizer deduction. - [GivingTuesday: what it is, when it is, and how to make it count](https://magnanimo.us/giving-tuesday/): GivingTuesday 2026 falls on December 1. Its history, the record 2025 results, ways to give beyond money, and how to avoid the scams that spike that day. - [Workplace matching gifts: the easiest way to double what you give](https://magnanimo.us/matching-gifts/): How employer matching gifts and volunteer grants work, typical match ratios and limits, how to submit a request, and a checklist so no match goes unclaimed. - [Effective giving: doing the most good with what you give](https://magnanimo.us/effective-giving/): What effective giving means, how GiveWell estimates cost per life saved, pledges like Giving What We Can's 10%, the fair critiques, and how to balance heart and head. ## Food & community - [Food & community (section index)](https://magnanimo.us/food-and-community/): Food banks, food drives, sharing surplus safely and showing up for neighbors with a meal. - [What food banks actually need most, and what to leave at home](https://magnanimo.us/donate-to-food-banks/): Cash, shelf-stable protein, peanut butter and hygiene items top most food bank wish lists. Here's what to give, what to skip, and why money stretches further. - [Waste less, share more: what to do with extra food](https://magnanimo.us/food-waste-share-surplus/): Nearly a third of the U.S. food supply goes unsold or uneaten. How to waste less at home, read date labels, and donate surplus safely under the Good Samaritan Act. - [How to organize a food drive that food banks will thank you for](https://magnanimo.us/organize-a-food-drive/): A step-by-step plan for a food drive at work, school or church: partner with a food bank, pick the right items and timing, or run a virtual drive. - [How to organize a meal train that actually helps](https://magnanimo.us/meal-train/): How to set up a meal train for a new baby, illness or loss: scheduling, allergies, food-safety temps, freezer-friendly meals and drop-offs that don't overstay. ## Everyday generosity - [Everyday generosity (section index)](https://magnanimo.us/everyday-generosity/): Kindness ideas, volunteering, tipping, generosity at work and with kids, and the science behind it. - [75 random acts of kindness ideas, from free to five dollars](https://magnanimo.us/random-acts-of-kindness-ideas/): A big, practical list of random acts of kindness: free ideas, under-$5 gestures, kindness at work, for neighbors, online, for strangers and for kids, plus the research. - [How to start volunteering — and make it stick](https://magnanimo.us/volunteering/): How to find volunteer opportunities that fit your time and skills, plus the latest US volunteering stats from AmeriCorps and the Census Bureau, and the value of an hour. - [Tipping as generosity: how much to tip in 2026, and why it matters](https://magnanimo.us/tipping-guide/): How much to tip at restaurants, for delivery, hotels and salons, why the $2.13 tipped wage matters, what to do about tip screens, and how tip pools work. - [Generosity at work: small habits that make a team better](https://magnanimo.us/generosity-at-work/): Ideas for generosity at work, from giving campaigns and volunteer time off to sharing credit and mentoring, plus what research says about givers and prosocial bonuses. - [How to teach kids generosity, age by age](https://magnanimo.us/teaching-kids-generosity/): Research-backed ways to raise generous kids: talk about giving, use spend-save-give jars, age-by-age ideas from toddlers to teens, and family giving traditions. - [The science of giving: what research says about generosity and happiness](https://magnanimo.us/science-of-giving/): What studies actually show about giving and happiness: prosocial spending, brain imaging, toddlers, volunteering and health, and the replication caveats. ## Magnanimity - [Magnanimity (section index)](https://magnanimo.us/magnanimity/): What it means to be magnanimous, from Aristotle to the Olympic track, and how to win and lose with grace. - [What does "magnanimous" mean? The great-souled virtue, explained](https://magnanimo.us/what-does-magnanimous-mean/): Magnanimous means generous in spirit, especially toward rivals. Its Latin roots, Aristotle's megalopsychia, Aquinas, synonyms, and how to use it well. - [Famous magnanimous acts in history and sports](https://magnanimo.us/magnanimous-acts-in-history/): Real, well-documented moments of magnanimity: Grant at Appomattox, Lincoln's "malice toward none," Mandela in 1995, and Olympic rivals who chose grace. - [How to win and lose graciously](https://magnanimo.us/gracious-winning-and-losing/): A practical sportsmanship guide for athletes, parents and coaches: what to say when you win or lose, handshake lines, sideline habits, and fair play at work. ## Free interactive tools - [All tools](https://magnanimo.us/tools/): index of the free, private, in-browser tools below. - [Kindness Generator](https://magnanimo.us/kindness-generator/): Spin the wheel or draw a card for a random act of kindness. Filter 75 ideas by time, cost and setting, then light a star in your sky each time you do one. - [Charity Checker](https://magnanimo.us/charity-checklist/): An interactive checklist for vetting a charity before you donate: IRS status, state registration, ratings, Form 990 and the FTC's scam red flags, with a readiness score. - [Giving Budget Planner](https://magnanimo.us/giving-calculator/): Turn a giving pledge into a plan. Enter your income and a percentage to see annual, monthly and per-paycheck giving, split across causes, plus 2026 tax-deduction basics. - [Meal Train Planner](https://magnanimo.us/meal-train-planner/): Build a meal train schedule in a minute: pick dates and frequency, add volunteers and allergies, then print, copy or download it as a calendar file. Free, no sign-up. ## About - [About and editorial standards](https://magnanimo.us/about/): who writes the site and how claims are checked. - [Sources and methodology](https://magnanimo.us/sources/): every source URL cited on the site, grouped by publisher. ## Network - [allthingsN](https://allthingsn.com/): the studio behind this site — free apps, tools and guides. - [PantryRx](https://pantryrx.ai/): pantry-first meal planner and daily recipes.