By Eve Anderson
October 18, 2012
In a world that is pretty much drowning in debt it is difficult to imagine why people donate money to charity, causes, individuals and general pleas for cash.
When people have so much going on in their own lives in terms of making ends meet and having enough money to survive the week, month or whatever it may be, the truth is that people still find the finances to give their last dime to a stranger than do nothing.
Such examples of the generosity of strangers are in the wake of terrible disasters and tragedies like the Boxing Day Tsunami and 9/11 one of the only ways that people felt they could help and show support was by donating money. When children go missing or are murdered often you will hear that a fund has subsequently been set up to raise money for a cause of some nature – this doesn’t bring the child in question back but people demonstrate their support through giving. This support is perhaps key to understanding what drives people to donate to others in need as it is human trait to help those who are struggling as a gesture that they aren’t alone in their crisis.
Sweet charity
Donating money isn’t just restricted to the rich and famous either – those with very little spare cash still have the will to donate to charities or causes or individuals that really touch their values and belief systems.
Americans are a generous country which is demonstrated via a report by the Atlas of Giving stated that in 2011 Americans donated $347 billion which was a 7.5% rise from 2010. The company records and forecasts donations to charity and it observed that such giving was rising faster than the rate of the economy for 2011. Add to this that earlier this year it was announced that American student loan debt rose to over $1 trillion which is more than credit card, online loan, car debt, in fact it is above any other type of debt in the US apart from home mortgages. To think that people of such a young age are in such debt and yet up to 90% of the US population still gives to charitable causes on top of making loan repayments is astounding.
Ultimately Americans want to help others out and providing your cause is reputable then you are likely find support in kindred spirits out there.
Motivation behind donations
Research by charities into what motivates people to donate would have us believe that the decision making process isn’t a long one. Charities say that making a donation is a spontaneous action which would seem to indicate it comes from our deep seated desire from within to help as people trust their guts much more than other sorts of purchases.
In the wake of the internet and online payments making donations has never been easier, which really helps to facilitate people’s generosity. Cashless payment methods in particular are now much more commonplace and people are much savvier about conducting financial transactions online, which makes for a more conducive charitable environment all round.
Charitable appeal
What has also been observed is that people have a propensity to donate more to a single person, or the cause of a single person than to a group or population. One person’s story has the ability to resonate more with individuals and as such the cause of single suffering is something that human beings relate to more.
Whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist carrying out a random act of kindness will undoubtedly make you feel good. The spontaneity of making a donation to a cause that appeals to you will not have the same guilt repercussions as an impulse credit card purchase on yourself. In fact quite the opposite the effects of your generosity will really help someone to get one step closer to being out of a bad situation or help someone achieve something that will make a difference to their life or the lives of others close to them.
Donating really is a feel good activity and whilst for some it will leave you wishing that you could do even more often distance or practicalities prevent this so just be confident that you were able to do all you could or all that was asked.
5 comments:
How does one know if they have had money donated to them? How are they notified?
I wonder that too
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Hello my family and I are being evicted 4/22/2014. We have three kids which my daughter is disabled. My mother inlaw whom is also disabled. We have 3 dogs. We live in miami florida where poverty lives. I am the only one working taking care of all of them with a check of 390.00. My wife can not work because miami florida will not take her mother into a nursing home because we can't afford it. So my wife can't work because of that. My kids are eating off of the dlar menu of ither mac donalds or burger king, because that is all we can afford on dollar. We have to cars that we can now barely afford also. We have section 8 to help pay for rent but they are so slow that with getting the process done to get us into a new home. We loose because landlord don't have the money to pay there own morgage while miami dade, takes there time. We are drownding we can't do anything. Today is 4/20/2014 we went to church today for help also and was basically told to wait and see what would happen but by then we would be in the street. Please we need help. We need it in the next 24 hrs. Our family will be broken up. My wife will end up in a shelter with my kids and moyher inlaw. My dogs wil get put down, and I will end god knows where because I have no one here in this state. We are from boston where we have never lived this life. We oh our current landlord 1600 dollars, light bill is 500, water is 400. I got bitten by a dog, and that is a 14,000 dollar bill. I mean it just jeeps on going. In all we oh altogether about 90, 000. Please help us, we need any and all help possible. Please! God bless you all, and I hope you never have to suffer what we are going through as a family
Hello my name is Vero. Single mother of 4 children. Low income family from South Texas. Trying to get back on my feet. I Thank God because we have a roof over our heads and have a vehicle to move us around. I am recently out of a steady job, just clean houses when ever im called for it. I am not asking for money. If anyone would like to help me in any other way we would really appreciate it. (shampoo,conditioner,toiletpaer, soap, clothing.etc.) We thank you with all our hearts. God bless you! :-) If Anyone really really wants to help us .please email me at Verorivas4@hotmail.com Any personal hygeine,anythg at all would be great and highly appreciated. Thank You.God Bless!
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