In an abundant community, every person matters because it’s not about what we lack, but about the incredible gifts we already have. It’s a powerful shift from seeing needs to spotting assets, and it completely changes how we build strong, resilient neighborhoods.
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Meaning
This quote is the absolute bedrock of what’s called an “Asset-Based Community Development” mindset. It means that a community’s real wealth isn’t its budget or its institutions—it’s the collective, often hidden, talents and passions of its people.
Explanation
Let me break it down for you. For years, the dominant model has been a “deficit-based” approach. We look at a neighborhood and we see a list of problems: no jobs, poor housing, crime. We then go in as “helpers” with a pre-packaged solution. McKnight and Block flip that entirely on its head. They argue that when we start by identifying what’s already strong in a community—the retired teacher who loves gardening, the teenager who’s a tech whiz, the baker who knows everyone by name—we unlock a different kind of power. It’s a power that’s sustainable because it’s homegrown. It’s not a transaction; it’s a connection. And that’s where the real magic, the real abundance, is found.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Community (61) |
| Topics | abundance (23), diversity (6), inclusion (7) |
| Literary Style | affirmative (75), poetic (635) |
| Emotion / Mood | warm (182) |
| Overall Quote Score | 80 (256) |
Origin & Factcheck
This comes straight from their 2010 book, The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods. It’s a cornerstone of their work in the U.S., and while the ideas are often echoed in leadership and organizational psychology, this specific phrasing is uniquely theirs. You won’t find it correctly attributed to anyone else.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | John McKnight (51) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (51) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
John McKnight, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University had spent decades of his life helping people rediscover the power of relationships. Being, co-founder of the ABCD Institute, his core idea revolves around communities that grows by identifying and connecting their assets. You’ll find the John McKnight book list here which are anchored by Building Communities from the Inside Out, The Careless Society, The Abundant Community, and The Connected Community.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | In an abundant community, every person matters and every gift counts |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2010; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781605095844; Last edition: 2012; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Every Gift Counts, Approximate page from 2012 edition: 180 |