Comments on: Why Do People Give?

By: Nell Edgington

Nell Edgington — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:36:13 +0000

Great questions Melinda. And you’re right, it’s a huge set of issues that nonprofits and philanthropy alike are dealing with. It will be interesting to see how this all evolves.

By: Melinda Lewis

Melinda Lewis — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:51:23 +0000

These questions parallel, to some extent, conversations going on right now in some of the United Ways and other community funds–to what extent should they shift to “impact” giving, that focuses on outcomes and on a strategy based on a particular change model, and to what extent should they continue to support the “favorite” projects of the community, those that not only bring some individual gain but also create that sense of community, but may not really be proven effective in addressing the core social challenges of that community (or, in some cases, even directed at trying to address those)? Can organizations serving the social good align themselves so that supporting them brings greater individual reward? If so, would that increase the alignment?

By: Richard Gelula

Richard Gelula — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:15:57 +0000

Mirm,
Thank you for posting your white paper. I believe the discussion of enlightened self interest adds to this conversation. Many of the comments seem rather idealistic and neglect base instincts like obligation, competition, tax benefits, ego (in a base sense), aggrandizement, etc. These motives are not necessarily more important overall than altruistic ones, but should certainly be part of the perceptual preparation for nonprofit leaders.

By: What Will Be the Legacy of Your Giving? | eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:31:38 +0000

[...] excerpted from Social Velocity: [...]

By: Nell Edgington

Nell Edgington — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:48:26 +0000

Thanks for writing Cheryl. Maslow does give us an interesting framework to analyze as we attempt to understand philanthropy. However, I don’t know that I completely buy the argument that you have to reach the top of the pyramid before you can think socially. How do we reconcile that argument with the fact those in lower income brackets give more to charity? And how does his framework account for countless stories about heroes in natural disasters or wartime who sacrificed their own lives to save others? I’m not sure, but thanks for pointing it out and adding it to the discussion.

By: Cheryl Chapman

Cheryl Chapman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:41:18 +0000

Why do people give? The model of human motivation proposed by American psychologist Abraham Maslow in the 1940s ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need’ (for me) provides an explanation of why people give. The theory sets out a pyramid (and taxonomy) of human need. At the bottom is ‘physiological need’ and at the top sits ’self-actualisation’, which requires morality, creativity, problem solving, lack of prejudice and acceptance of facts. All are important facets of giving. I like the idea that when one gets to the top of this pyramid they can then think about those at the bottom. It points to people being self-focussed until they get to the top of the pyramid when they are free to act socially. This is probably too neat an explanation, but like the ‘harmony’ of it. See a good diagram here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.svg

By: Nell Edgington

Nell Edgington — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:16:09 +0000

Mirm,

Thanks for bringing in the third dimension of value–creation of community. That’s an important point. And thanks for the link to your whitepaper.

By: Mirm Kriegel

Mirm Kriegel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:51:14 +0000

Excellent question raised above: If individual philanthropy will always have an individual return motivation, is that ultimately a problem for a sector that is trying to provide social goods?

We at BBMG (values-driven branding and marketing firm) have given this some thought from a branding perspective and would argue that yes, philanthropy must address the demands of today’s consumers/donors, who are increasingly looking for multiple dimensions of value – both practical/personal relevance and social impact described above- along with a third dimension, creating a community of like-minded believers. For nonprofits looking to stay relevant and win donor loyalty in this economy, demonstrating these different dimensions of value seems all the more critical. Feel free to check out our white paper on the topic: http://www.bbmg.com/enewsletter/l2l_whitepaper.html

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:56:15 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

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By: Tweets that mention Why Do People Give? | Social Velocity -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention Why Do People Give? | Social Velocity -- Topsy.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:46:56 +0000

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