It seems everywhere I look there is another report about America’s uncertain financial future. Despite all of the dire predictions, there is one thing about which I am certain: We live in the most charitable nation in history, a country with an unrivaled tradition of philanthropic giving and volunteerism. Even in an unpredictable market and a capricious economy, people continue to contribute to causes they are passionate about, and to programs that change lives.

The Greek word philanthrópia means “love of mankind.” Trojans have long displayed a deep concern for the welfare of every member of our society. My belief in the generous nature of the members of the Trojan Family was reaffirmed when I learned the results of USC’s most recent Good Neighbors Campaign.

Given the current economic uncertainties, it would be easy for our faculty and staff to tighten their belts and think solely of their own interests. Instead, I am very proud that they continue to look beyond themselves to the people in the neighborhoods surrounding the university’s two campuses. This past fall, our faculty and staff voluntarily donated a record $1.1 million of their own money to the USC Good Neighbors Campaign. Since 1994, this campaign has raised more than $10 million for programs that directly benefit thousands of our neighbors, both young and old.

This year’s Good Neighbors Campaign was special for another reason. An anonymous alumnus challenged the faculty and staff in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences to raise their campaign participation rate from 26 percent to 50 percent. If they did, the alumnus agreed to donate $1 million to the endowment fund of USC’s Joint Educational Project, which has been one of the nation’s leading service-learning programs for more than 35 years.

And they did it! What a wonderful example of faculty, staff and alumni working together for the betterment of the entire community.

Let me share with you some examples of how the Good Neighbors Campaign is transforming lives. The money raised enables us to provide local students with tutoring in reading and math, hands-on science workshops, and cultural opportunities in film, theatre, music and the fine arts. The Fit Families program on our Health Sciences campus offers nutritional counseling, educational lectures, and individualized fitness plans for children and families.

The important thing to note is that these efforts are not a matter of condescending noblesse oblige. It has been said that the best way to have a good neighbor is to be a good neighbor, and we have found this to be the case. Our neighbors have in turn gladly invested their time and talents in projects to make our communities even better places in which to live and work.

A great example of our mutually beneficial partnerships is Kid Watch. Each day, more than 950 neighborhood volunteers are outside on their front lawns watching over approximately 9,000 children as they walk to and from school. Who wouldn’t want to live in a community with neighbors like these?

The recent success of our Good Neighbors Campaign reasserts what I have maintained for many years: USC is a private university with a public heart. For nearly 130 years, USC has survived and thrived in Los Angeles. We have weathered the Great Depression, recessions, economic booms and busts, natural disasters, riots and a host of other complex challenges that come with residing in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the history of the world. We have succeeded because the university’s history is inextricably tied to the fate of this city, and our future is closely intertwined with the future of our local communities. All of us at USC are grateful and fortunate that our neighbors have become our partners, our friends and members of our family.