Last week, on Pearl Harbor Day, I started thinking about the Greatest Generation. What made them so great? Here’s an answer….

The Greatest Generation survived the great depression… fought in World War II… helped rebuild Europe and Japan… endured the Cold War… worked hard to ensure their children could experience the American Dream and live a better life… and they served as a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. But that’s not all.

The Greatest Generation has also been incredibly generous to nonprofits and religious institutions. Even today, members of the Greatest Generation (on average) give more money to more charities than any other generation.

Personally, I’m proud that our organization, Innovairre, has been able to give back to these great Americans. Each year, we help a myriad of nonprofits raise many millions of dollars to support veterans, health causes, and other charities that assist the Greatest Generation. Yet as someone dedicated to helping nonprofits raise funds, I’m also pondering what it will take to inspire other generations to give as generously as the Greatest Generation. There is no easy answer to this question, but let me leave you with this thought….

It’s impossible to repay our parents and grandparents for all they did for us. The only thing we can do is pay it forward — and follow their lead in terms of generosity. If we do, there is no doubt; we’ll all be a little greater.

Mark Schulhof is Chief Executive Officer of Innovairre Communications, which supports more than 500 nonprofit organizations around the world. Contact us at Answers@Innovairre.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.