In searching for an adjective to describe the scale of the “longevity bonus” you’re about to read about, I came across for the first time the word “brobdingnagian” and could not resist its attention-grabbing potential. (I’ve used it without the initial cap, as is done with similar words.) Evidently Jonathan Swift coined it in Gulliver’s Travels, and it means “marked by tremendous size” (Merriam-Webster.com). Synonyms are astronomical, colossal, elephantine, titanic, leviathan, supersized—are you getting the idea?

A hot-off-the-press study by gerontologist Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., in partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch is exciting on so many levels. Dychtwald’s firm, Age Wave, surveyed a sizable group—3,694 adults over age 25 from all walks of life. “Giving in Retirement: America’s Longevity Bonus” puts the total value of U.S. retirees’ giving both their time and money over the next two decades at $8 trillion.

As Dychtwald notes, what’s refreshing about this is how the study reveals third agers of all socioeconomic classes as a powerful force for good and productivity in the U.S. in contrast to the view of an aging population only as a burden.

Americans—individuals and families across the income spectrum—drive the financial-giving machine, far outstripping what big corporations and foundations contribute to worthy causes. As today’s retirees experience more of the personal health benefits of giving their time and money (not to mention Millennials who have been leading the way on purpose-driven living and working) we are all poised to benefit in some way.

But instead of repeating more snippets of the study here, I recommend that you read the entire report to learn more of the eye-popping statistics. To egg you on, I’ll end with one of Dychtwald’s comments: “If we’re at the dawn of a new era in which retirement is being transformed to include a revolution in large-scale giving back, this will open the floodgates on a torrent of experience, wisdom, skills, and resources to meet today’s and tomorrow’s needs and challenges.”