American Thrift

The Institute for American Values began its work on thrift-&;the ethic of wise use&;-in 2004, when they were invited to partner with the John Templeton Foundation in a scholarly exploration of thrift as an American value. What they discovered was a forgotten history&;but more importantly, IAV&;s research uncovered limitless contemporary possibilities in an irreplaceable virtue.

&; We see thrift as a comprehensive and transformative lens to inspire and measure the aspirations of more productive, self-reliant, imaginative and resilient&;in short thriving&;individuals and communities,&; says the Institute. &; In the area of thrift education, our dream is for every young American to benefit from at least one module of high-quality thrift education before reaching age 18, through a school, library, youth-serving organization, or financial services organization.&;

With American Thrift: A Reader, David Blankenhorn and Andrew F. Kline provide a key resource in the pursuit of that goal.