In the wake of hurricanes striking across the Southeast this fall, nonprofit organizations played a vital role in delivering much needed aid to hard hit communities. Last month, nonprofits across the country took part in educating voter. They registered young people to vote, and encouraged broad participation in the democratic process. It’s especially clear today that participation in civil society—whether through giving or volunteering— is vital to the functioning of our national community and society.

Most people understand the importance of nonprofit organizations. But research shows that fewer Americans are giving back. Donations to nonprofit organizations continue to grow year-over-year in terms of total dollars. But they’re coming from a smaller pool of individuals, skewed towards those with a high net worth. That was the phenomenon recently explored in a landmark........

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