Why doesn’t giving to charity feel good?
We all give. Sometimes it’s just hard to see:
- Being a friend
- Walking your dog
- Listening
- Taking care of someone who is sick
- Picking up a piece of trash
These day-to-day activities are what make us human, and we do them in part because it feels good. We feel a part of something. Useful.
Why doesn’t giving to charity feel the same? Perhaps it’s because of how we’re asked – a guilt-inducing letter in the mail, a phone call at dinner, an interruption walking on the street. That’s part of it, but there’s more. We’re giving our hard-earned money and getting nothing in return – we don’t get a package in the mail, the satisfaction of meeting the person we just helped, and in most cases, we don’t even know what our donation will accomplish. In many ways, it’s incredible how much we give.
So why do we give to charity? Sometimes to check the box or make ourselves look good, but mostly because we want to make a difference. Even though we might not see or know the impact of our donation, we still give. Impressive. We donate to causes we care about, organizations we know, and people we trust. But sometimes, we give beyond our comfort zone to organizations we just heard about, helping people we will never meet. Why? Because we believe it will make a difference.
The reality is that you can make a difference. In fact, you can make a big difference with a small amount of money. One way to maximize the impact of your donation and give with confidence is to donate to an evidence-based charity working in a low-income country. Why? Because your dollar can go so much further when it’s helping people living on less than $2.15/day. Yes, there is a lot of need locally and within the U.S., but if you want to make your dollar go further, this is a worthwhile consideration. And you may be able to do both.
You can read about 25 impactful charities using this link. Giving to the Fistula Foundation is the happiest I’ve ever been making a donation. It takes a bit more money to make an impact, but the outcomes for the women are life-changing.
Much love,
Mike Filbey – Founder/President, Pepper