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To give or not to give: It's all about the brain
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TEXT OF COMMENTARY
Tess Vigeland: This week we're looking at how charitable giving is changing. Nonprofits are increasingly using social media and technology to connect with donors and volunteers.
To persuade someone to give money or time to your cause, you have to connect with something the potential donor likes or believes in. Commentator Jonah Lehrer says it's all about an emotional response -- in our brains.
Jonah Lehrer: The first thing to note about giving away money is that it feels really good. For instance, several brain scanning experiments demonstrate that donating to a worthy cause leads to activation in the dopamine reward pathway. It's the same part of the brain that's turned on when we have sex, or eat a slice of chocolate cake. In fact, there is typically more "reward-related" activity when we donate money than we receive an equivalent amount. Giving is literally better than getting, at least from the perspective of the brain.
But this generosity comes with a catch. Yes, we have altruistic instincts. Still, these instincts come with some real blind spots.
Consider the work of Paul Slovic, a psychologist at the University of Oregon. He told undergraduates about a starving child named Rokia -- she lived in a crumbling refugee camp in Africa. His students acted with impressive generosity. They saw her emaciated body and haunting brown eyes and they donated, on average, about $2.50 to Save the Children.
However, when a second group of students were provided with a list of statistics about starvation throughout Africa -- like the fact that more than five million children are malnourished -- the average donation was 50 percent lower.
At first glance, this makes no sense. We should give away more money when we are informed about the true scope of the problem, not less.
Why do we do this? The depressing statistics leave us cold, even when they are truly terrible. That's because our emotions can't comprehend suffering on such a massive scale. This is why we are riveted when one child falls down a well, but turn a blind eye to the millions of people who die every year for lack of clean water. And yet, the good news is that we're still wired to care about each other. We feel pleasure when someone else feels better.
So give away some money. It will make you feel good. And maybe give a little extra to that cause that doesn't make you feel anything at all.
Vigeland: Jonah Lehrer is the author of "How We Decide." So how do you decide when to give? Send us your comments.
This is great information, and I feel that it's definitely important for non-profit organizations to keep that in mind; that the story of a single individual is more powerful in inspiring action than nameless statistics. Made to Stick captures this quite well... As someone well-educated about various social issues, it is with reluctance that I admit it's often fictional accounts in books or movies that inspires me to action; movies like Blood Diamond and A Time for Drunken Horses have stayed in my mind. Still, I try to think of specific issues I care most about and ways of effecting change that I agree with, which is why I also donate to Engineers Without Borders without knowing exactly where the money is going. Anyway, great food for thought (though I'd expect nothing less from Mr. Lehrer).
"At first glance, this makes no sense. We should give away more money when we are informed about the true scope of the problem, not less."
I was surprised at this conclusion. I was thinking the opposite. This result makes complete sense. When faced with a small, individual situation, we believe we can make a difference. Once we realize the massive scale of the problem and the probable lack of efficacy of our efforts will have overall, it makes perfect sense to be less willing to give.
We as individuals actually can save a kid down a well, but what are the odds we can solve the shortage of drinking water problem?
I feel that I have been so blessed in my 70 plus years that it's only fair that I share with those in need. I contribute to numerous organizations, local and international, with checks or monthly charges to my credit card. One thing I resent, however, is the way my name is shared with dozens of other charitable organizaions. I get six to twelve requests for donations in almost every mail delivery! A number of them actually believe that I'll sit and read a four-page letter from them! If the donation card contains one of those annoying, first-person YES! statements that I;m supposed to pretend I said as I breathlessly reached for my checkbook - I just toss it. Just a pet peeve with me.
My charities go to smaller organizations for which I believe in their cause and usually have a special affinity or soft spot. These are purposely chosen that do not receive large corporate donations; not on political stances, but because these respective organizations have a weaker fundraising leverage. I give to charities that serve the local poor and homeless, the youth , nationally, in the form of foster homes, sight impaired educational supplies, and with exception to the non corporate stance,I contribute to national organizations that support major diseases, i.e. Parkinson's, arthritis and cancer diseases.
Jonah Lehrer hit the nail on the head. As the president of a nonprofit organization that does information consulting to other nonprofits, we have what we have long dubbed "the puppy problem." Donations are small when we reach out on the basis of the number of orgs we've served, or the kind of information we provide. We have more success raising money with "puppy" projects. We identify a specific client with a specific need, and ask donations for that highlight project. That project is then our "puppy" - akin to the puppy face you'd see on donation asks for animal shelters. Putting a real face on the need beats statistics every time.
Since I was a child giving to worthy causes was encouraged. Not just money but my time. Today I give time and money to local causes and people, whom I can see are using the money wisely. Heifer International is a national cause I give to because I believe in causes that produce long term results. I dont give out of guilt, but because I believe we can all be mini Bill Gates types. But one has to give to causes where 90% of the money goes to those in need and NOT to some CEO's salary or 'overhead'.
