A small act of generosity. A conversation across a divide. A community coming together when it matters most.

Kindness takes many forms, and its impact can be profound. At UCLA, researchers are exploring how kindness spreads and shapes human behavior, campus leaders are finding ways to bridge differences and build empathy and understanding, and Bruins are putting compassion into action, from helping neighborhoods recover after devastating wildfires to volunteering in communities across Los Angeles.

On the eve of World Kindness Day, Nov. 13, we're highlighting four stories that show how kindness can bring people together, strengthen communities and help change the world.

Building bridges of kindness in a divided world

Two people face away from each other beneath a colorful collage of symbols and words, including “love,” “hate,” “misinformation,” “ego” and “Be Kind,” illustrating the challenges of communication and connection in a divided world.
UCLA College

Can kindness help us understand people we disagree with? Through research, dialogue and a commitment to seeing others as fully human, UCLA scholars and campus leaders are working to bridge divides and create a more compassionate, connected society.

► UCLA's efforts to create a more compassionate, connected world.

Is kindness contagious? Science says yes

A collage of scenes from the video “Unsung Hero” shows a young man going about his day, two young girls receiving help, a smiling schoolgirl and a street vendor. The video was used in a UCLA study on kindness.
Courtesy of UCLA Bedari Kindness Institute
After watching video scenes depicting kindness like those above, people were more likely to act charitably themselves.

Researchers at UCLA's Bedari Kindness Institute discovered that witnessing acts of generosity can inspire us to be more generous ourselves. In one experiment, people who watched a video depicting kindness donated 25% more to charity than those who watched a different video. Turns out, doing good really can catch on.

► Read more about "catching kindness."

The fires: When L.A. needed kindness, Bruins answered

Two UCLA softball players smile and hold donated clothing while an older woman in a blue UCLA sweatshirt reacts with delight during a clothing distribution event for community members displaced by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
Elizabeth Kivowitz/UCLA Newsroom
Members of the UCLA softball team brought clothing and smiles to community members displaced by the 2025 wildfires.

In the aftermath of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, Bruins stepped up with food, shelter, financial assistance and countless acts of generosity. Their response offered a powerful reminder that kindness isn't just something we feel — it's something we do.

► How acts of kindness kept Bruins and L.A. connected amid tragedy.

UCLA's day of service, a lasting spirit of generosity

A UCLA Volunteer Day participant sweeps a veteran’s grave marker at Los Angeles National Cemetery, as other volunteers in UCLA shirts clean headstones across the lawn.
Ron Mackovich-Rodriguez/UCLA
UCLA student and staff volunteers clean the headstones of veterans at Los Angeles National Cemetery.

More than a thousand Bruins recently fanned out across Los Angeles for UCLA's annual Volunteer Day, lending a hand at schools, parks, food banks and community organizations. From planting a neighborhood micro-forest to honoring military veterans, their efforts showed how acts of kindness can bring people together and strengthen the bonds between UCLA and the city it calls home.

► UCLA's commitment to serving LA's communities with kindness.