Almsgiving

The practice of giving money or goods to people in need.

Reach for it when describing charitable giving as a repeated moral or religious practice

Seasonal almsgiving replenished the neighborhood pantry.

• everyday

  donation

  one specific gift is the fact

  not when A donation is an event, while almsgiving names a practice.

• warm

  generosity

  the giving spirit is more important than the form

  not when Generosity can involve time or attention and need not address hardship.

• professional

  charitable giving

  the broad voluntary transfer of resources is meant

  not when Charitable giving includes institutions and causes beyond direct poverty relief.

• professional

  mutual aid

  community members share resources reciprocally

  not when Mutual aid rejects the giver-recipient hierarchy associated with almsgiving.

• formal

  philanthropy

  organized private giving pursues public benefit

  not when Philanthropy often implies wealth and institutions rather than direct aid.

• formal

  tithing

  a fixed religious share is contributed

  not when Tithing may support a religious institution rather than people in need.

• hoarding
• withholding
• selfishness

• practice almsgiving

  The family chose to practice almsgiving without public credit.

• tradition of almsgiving

  A long tradition of almsgiving supports the community kitchen.

• acts of almsgiving

  Small acts of almsgiving kept emergency shelves stocked.