Finding Motivation To Giving Back To The Community

Giving is related to the way we act philanthropically since is not a spontaneous action, it is the end of a process that is motivated by feelings of social responsibility, equity or reciprocity. The benefits of putting our hearts in what we give and what we do, are also reflected in our ability to value the efforts we make, what others do for us, and what we can do for others.

The philanthropy of giving is not a matter of money, it is about a purpose, a will, and a decision. Professor Michael Norton of Harvard Business School and his team investigated the path to happiness in giving, and they found out that, size of income aside, those that felt happier were those that spent more on others as opposed to themselves (Hecht, 2018). People don't give simply because an organization needs something, but they give to others with a cause. In fact, according to Hetch (2018), our happiness thus lies in our ability to be the solution. And even researchers have found a connection between happiness and the performance of selfless acts (Cohut, 2017), being this one of the unexpected facts I learned when reading the study.

Another unexpected fact I learned is that that according to the Annual Giving Report, 2018 was a tough year for many charities even though the overall economy was strong as donations declined 1.7 percent (Haynes & Theis, 2019). However, in studies mentioned by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (2019), it is reflected that total charitable giving is predicted to grow (3.4 % in 2019 and 4.1% in 2020), rising above the historical 10-year, 25-year, and 40-year annualized average rates of growth.

Part of the motivations several philanthropists expressed were factors such as community responsibility and pride, tax considerations, and religious or spiritual affiliation of the institution (Prince & File, 1994, pg. 3). Many times, we look for external factors to justify or understand the reason for fluctuations when giving. When unexpectedly the clearest factor is the same reason why we donate.

For example, some fundraising consultants say they think donations from individuals were so much higher in 2017 than in 2018 because donors wanted to lock in their tax write-offs before the law changed (Haynes & Theis, 2019). And the new tax law, which doubled the standard deduction, meant that very few Americans itemized their 2018 taxes and therefore didn’t get to take advantage of the donations (Haynes & Theis, 2019).

This research influenced my cultivation and stewardship of donors by understanding the fact that people donate for different reasons. Giving is commonly identified as an act of altruism. And many give responding to a personal desire to seek the welfare of others, altruistic motivations, relevant personal experiences, and others. For these, it is important to know the psychology of the donor to successfully obtain the necessary resources while at the same time maintaining sincere and effective relationships and understanding their motivations.

I see myself represented in this research because I am the type of person that gives to causes that I really care, and I try to do it constantly and/or every year. I always do my research on the organization, its mission, how it will impact, and how have had impacted my giving. Not is only being economic resources but also time, ideas, support, etc. In fact, according to the U.S. Trust (2016), the top 3 motivations for charitable giving were believes in the mission of the organization, believes that the gift can make a difference, and the desire to support the same causes/organizations annually. This being an unexpected fact I learned I had in common.

I believe that when we give, we reflect who we are. The fact of giving offers an incredible reward. When we give, we are offering something that is part of us, that represents our heart, intention, and interest in the cause.