Struggling to find the perfect words for your year-end or giving season campaigns? There’s no need to stress. Use some of these iInspiring quotes about giving to do some of the heavy lifting for you.
Far from fluff, quotes are a strategic addition to your fundraising toolkit. They strengthen emotional connections with supporters, convey powerful messages succinctly, and add credibility to your appeals — especially when they’re paired with specific asks and impact stories.
We've compiled 61 quotes about giving in categories that match your mission and messaging needs. Use them across your website, social media, emails, direct mail, and campaign materials to inspire generosity and celebrate your donors.
Quotes that celebrate the character of givers
These quotes frame giving not as an action, but as an identity reflecting someone’s character and values. Use them to help your donors see themselves as generous people (rather than people fulfilling an obligation).
No one has ever become poor by giving. — Anne Frank
This timeless quote reframes giving as an abundance mindset. Use it in thank-you messages to reinforce that donors haven’t lost anything — rather, they’ve gained satisfaction and fulfillment.
Perfect for: Donor acknowledgement letters, year-end impact reports, thank-you messages
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. — Winston Churchill
Churchill’s quote distinguishes between mere survival and meaningful living. It positions generous people as those who understand what truly matters in life and connects your supporters to something bigger than themselves.
Perfect for: Legacy giving programs, major donor cultivation, volunteer recruitment
The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. — Mahatma Gandhi
This quote speaks to identity and self-discovery through generosity. It’s ideal for messaging that emphasizes personal transformation and purpose.
Perfect for: Volunteer campaigns, monthly giving programs, youth engagement
Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out. — Frank A. Clark
Use this quote to celebrate donors who give without seeking praise and recognition. It honors the quiet dignity of people who give simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Perfect for: Anonymous donor recognition, value-based messaging, donor privacy statements
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
This profound quote connects giving to living a life of meaning and honor. It speaks to donors who see their generosity as part of their legacy and character.
Perfect for: Planned giving, capital campaigns, mission-driven appeals
For it is in giving that we receive. — St. Francis of Assisi
This classic quote reminds givers that generosity enriches their own lives. It acknowledges that giving is a gift in itself.
Perfect for: Faith-based organizations, donor appreciation, year-end appeals
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. — Amy Carmichael
This quote draws a powerful connection between generosity and love — two values most donors already hold dear. It can help you position giving as an authentic expression of care and compassion.
Perfect for: Year-end appeals and donor appreciation
The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give your gift away. — David Viscott
This line reframes generosity as a purpose and a part of our moral expression, making it a perfect fit for messaging that connects giving to making a tangible difference in the world.
Perfect for: Youth engagement, volunteer programs, donor identity messaging
Quotes about the joy of giving
The charity quotes below capture the essence of generosity itself — the joy, connection, and humanity found in giving. They’re broad enough to work across causes, seasons, and campaigns, making them ideal for nearly any fundraising message.
“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” — Mother Teresa
“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” — Ronald Reagan
As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way. — Mary Anne Radmacher
To do more for the world than the world does for you — that is success. — Henry Ford
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. — Charles Dickens
What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other? — George Eliot
Quotes about Christmas and holiday giving
The holiday season is a natural time for generosity, reflection, and spreading joy. These Christmas giving quotes capture the spirit of the season, inspiring your donors to think beyond gifts and focus on the deeper impact of their generosity.
Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. — Janice Maeditere
The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. — Pierre Corneille
Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. — Charles M. Schulz
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. — Calvin Coolidge
To perceive Christmas through its wrappings becomes more difficult with every year. — E.B. White
Quotes for faith-based organizations
Faith often goes hand-in-hand with generosity. For many, giving is an expression of spiritual growth, compassion, and service. These quotes highlight the sacredness and spirituality of giving, making them ideal for faith-based fundraising campaigns.
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. — Luke 6:38
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. — 2 Corinthians 9:7
It is more blessed to give than to receive. — Acts 20:35
Freely you have received; freely give. — Matthew 10:8
Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth. — Muhammad Ali
Quotes for animal welfare causes
Humans share a special bond with animals. These quotes are perfect for animal welfare fundraising, as they celebrate that relationship and the joy found in helping our furry, feathered, and four-legged friends.
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. — Immanuel Kant
Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. — Anatole France
Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever. — Karen Davison
The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor 'Can they talk?' but, 'Can they suffer?' — Jeremy Bentham
Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms. — George Eliot
Quotes for education and youth development
Children are the future — but many need support now. These quotes celebrate the power of education, mentorship, and guidance to inspire donors to contribute to programs that help young minds grow and thrive.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. — Nelson Mandela
Children must be taught how to think, not what to think. — Margaret Mead
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. — John Dewey
The soul is healed by being with children. — Fyodor Dostoevsky
Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children. — Sitting Bull
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. — Frederick Douglass
Quotes for healthcare and medical causes
Healthcare causes are often quite literally life and death — they save lives, ease suffering, and improve communities. These quotes emphasize compassion, service, and the impact of helping others, making them perfect for inspiring support for hospitals, research, and patient care programs.
Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity. — Hippocrates
He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything. — Arabian Proverb
To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always. — Edward Livingston Trudeau
There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow. — Orison Swett Marden
It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. — Mahatma Gandhi
Quotes for community development and social justice
Creating stronger communities and fighting for social justice requires both compassion and action. These fitting nonprofit campaign quotes highlight the importance of giving time, resources, and energy to uplift others and build a fairer, more connected world.
The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. — Barack Obama
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. — Martin Luther King Jr.
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. — Helen Keller
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. — William James
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members. — Coretta Scott King
Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community. — Anthony J. D'Angelo
Quotes for environmental and conservation causes
Donating to environmental causes isn’t just an act of generosity toward the planet — it’s an act of generosity toward future generations. These quotes highlight the importance of stewardship, sustainability, and giving to preserve the natural world.
The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth. — Chief Seattle
We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. — Native American proverb
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. — Albert Einstein
What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another. — Mahatma Gandhi
To cherish what remains of the earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival. — Wendell Berry
He that plants trees loves others beside himself. — Thomas Fuller
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. — Robert Swan
Quotes that are short and shareable
Sometimes a single line is all it takes to inspire action and generosity. These brief, memorable quotes are perfect for social media, email headers, or campaign graphics where impact and shareability matter.
We rise by lifting others. — Robert Ingersoll
Small acts, when multiplied, can change the world. — Howard Zinn
Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present. — Albert Camus
Giving is true having. — Charles Spurgeon
Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. — Khalil Gibran
The giving of love is an education in itself. — Eleanor Roosevelt
Giving is an expression of gratitude for our blessings. — Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
When you can’t seem to find the right words yourself, a quote can add the extra touch your messaging needs. Weave these year-end giving quotes into your campaigns to make an impact and nudge your supporters toward action.
Stay connected
Get updates and insights delivered to your inbox