Strong communities are built when people discover what they have to give. It’s a powerful shift from focusing on what we lack to recognizing the incredible assets we already possess. This mindset is the real engine for creating resilient, connected neighborhoods where everyone thrives.
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Table of Contents
Meaning
At its core, this quote flips the script on how we think about community. It’s not about what you can get, but about what you can give. And that act of sharing, freely, is the actual building block.
Explanation
Let me break this down based on years of seeing this principle in action. Most of us, when we think about improving our neighborhood or our workplace, we start with a needs assessment. What’s broken? What’s missing? We focus on the deficiencies.
McKnight and Block propose something radically different. They call it an “asset-based” approach.
It starts with a simple but profound question: “What do I have to give?” Not money, necessarily. It could be your skill fixing bikes, your ability to listen, your famous lasagna, your spare time, your knowledge of local history. Everyone has something. The magic happens when we stop seeing ourselves as consumers of community and start seeing ourselves as contributors. When we share that gift freely—without a transaction, without an expectation of direct return—that’s when real, sticky, authentic connections form. That’s the fabric. That’s the stuff that holds a place together when times get tough.
Quote Summary
Reading Level72
Aesthetic Score74
Origin & Factcheck
This is correctly attributed to community organizers and authors John McKnight and Peter Block. It comes straight from their 2010 book, The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods, which was really a foundational text for the asset-based community development movement. You won’t find this one rightly credited to anyone else.
Attribution Summary
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 | Strong communities are built when people discover what they have to give and share it freely with one another |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2010; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781605095844; Last edition: 2012; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: The Power of Gifts, Approximate page from 2012 edition: 42 |
Context
In the book, they’re pushing back hard against what they call the “consumer society,” where we’re trained to look for professional, institutional solutions to all our problems. We call a therapist instead of talking to a wise elder. We hire a lawn service instead of borrowing a neighbor’s mower. The book’s whole argument is that this outsourcing has eroded our community muscles. This quote is the antidote—it’s about reclaiming our own power and capacity right where we live.
Usage Examples
So how do you actually use this? It’s a mindset shift you can apply anywhere.
- For a Neighborhood Leader: Instead of starting a meeting with “What problems do we have?”, try “Let’s go around and each share one unique skill or passion we have that we’d be willing to share.” You’ll be amazed at the hidden talents in the room.
- In a Corporate Team: Frame a project not as a list of tasks to be assigned, but as a collective challenge. Ask, “Based on our unique strengths, how can we each contribute to this in a way that plays to what we love to do?” It boosts engagement massively.
- For Someone Feeling Disconnected: The advice isn’t “go find a community.” It’s “discover what you have to give, and then go share it.” Join a community garden and share your harvest. Offer to tutor a kid. Bake for a local event. You build community by contributing.
To whom it appeals?
| Context | Attributes |
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| Theme | Wisdom (1754) |
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| Audiences | activists (40), community builders (5), educators (295), leaders (2619), social workers (32) |
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| Usage Context/Scenario | community speeches (2), local government planning (1), motivational essays (111), neighborhood meetings (2), philanthropy summits (1), social impact workshops (2), team building events (4) |
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Share This Quote Image & Motivate
Motivation Score78
Popularity Score67
Shareability Score73
FAQ
Question: What if I don’t think I have anything valuable to give?
Answer: This is the most common hurdle. The key is to broaden your definition of a “gift.” It’s not just about marketable skills. Are you a good listener? Do you have a warm smile? Can you pull weeds? Do you have a car and can offer a ride? Often, the most valued gifts in a community are these simple, human offerings.
Question: How is this different from volunteering?
Answer: Great question. Volunteering is often structured and organized by an institution—you’re filling a predefined role. This concept is more organic and relational. It’s about sharing a piece of yourself, your unique asset, in a way that builds a direct connection with someone else. It’s more personal, less formal.
Question: Doesn’t this let governments and institutions off the hook for providing services?
Answer: That’s a critical point. McKnight and Block aren’t saying we should replace essential public services. They’re arguing for a better balance. Strong, abundant communities, where people are connected and helping each other, actually make public services more effective and can address the social fabric issues that services alone can’t fix.
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