American Generosity

Faces Behind the Numbers

After tallying the answers of 2,000 respondents in a national survey about Americans’ charitable giving practices, researchers selected 12 individual case studies to represent a cross-section of demographics, backgrounds and viewpoints.

The following people – reference points in illustrating the generosity of Americans in various categories – come from a mix of racial, ethnic, educational, religious and economic backgrounds:

1. Susan Baker – A white, college-educated, married woman with one child, who works as an independent contractor and lives in a wealthy Los Angeles suburb.
2. Ryan Dewey – A white single man in his 20s who is pursuing his doctoral degree full time at a Midwest graduate school.
3. Jackie Sawyer – A white, middle-class, married mother of two who lives in a Michigan suburb and works as an immunization nurse.
4. George Nettleson – A white, middle-class, religious Southerner and married father of three who works in IT.
5. Michael Johnson – A white, upper-middle-class, employed widower who owns a home ...