While people’s charitable donations clearly benefit the organizations to which they give, charitable actions benefit donors, as well. Here are ways in which philanthropic donors benefit from practicing the “greatest of all virtues.”
Charity Sets Examples for Others
Individual donors motivate friends, family members and co-workers to support charities in which they may be interested. As others witness the rewards to the spirit that donors experience, they come to understand that charity gives people’s lives more meaning. For, as the poet, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island…Every man is…a piece of the main” and individuals should contribute to others’ welfare.
Contentment with One’s Financial State
Besides the good feeling that helping others provides the giver, there is also a sense of contentment that donors feel. For, they realize that their financial state is stable enough that they can afford to be charitable. This realization is energizing for donors as it gives their lives more meaning.
Charitable Parents Set an Example for Fulfilling Lives
Charitable parents demonstrate to their children that they should appreciate their good fortune and help others in need. Those having a personal interest in a charity will likely ensure that the charity becomes a continuum through their example.
Beneficence Leads to Appreciation of What One Has
People often realize their good fortune only after witnessing the lives of those less fortunate. For this reason, it is wise to expose children to the realities of life. An excellent way to do this is to involve them in a charitable cause. Doing so boosts individuals’ gratitude for what they have. Feeling grateful enhances an individual’s happiness, optimism and health as it strengthens friendships and relieves stress. Acts of giving increase happiness, drawing people closer and maintaining empathy–all necessary qualities for a satisfying life.
Commitment to Giving Back Keeps People Focused and Promotes Happiness
When individuals in business set goals for helping others, they are much more likely to stay focused and achieve success because they have made commitments to others. Thus, their promise of charity helps to motivate them. When business leaders contribute to those less fortunate, these leaders feel closer to people and their empathy is strengthened as they understand that “no man is an island,” as the poet John Donne once wrote. because he is truly “a part of the main.” Indeed, the words of a popular song convey the truth: “People who need people are the luckiest people of all.”