Why should we join charitable practices and help others?
Charitable giving is not just about the thought “What a great person I am!” Experts say good deeds can actually improve our life.
According to the research article «What Encourages Ukrainians to Join Charitable Practices?», 60% of Ukrainians have become philanthropists over the past year. Most of them are certainly driven by compassion for those who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. Others understand that the social protection system in the country is hardly all right and maybe in the future they also will need help. We try to create not just a credit of trust, but charitable deposit. Our good deeds increase our social capital and increase our chances to get help at the moment we could possibly need it.
The research reveals: the charity of Ukrainians is more often based on values and emotions, not on rational reasons. Good deeds are like emotional purchases. Nevertheless, the emotional decisions are mostly temporary. When a person does something good driven by emotions, there is a high possibility that it would be a one-time deed.
However, when people are driven by rational reasons, charitable giving could transform into a systematic practice.
Rational attitude toward charity gives us an opportunity to see a whole picture. It is much better to donate regularly to a transparent foundation rather than to a random person.
Professional workers of charitable organizations have a complex approach to the issue. They have an opportunity to raise funds more effectively, to conduct studies and to develop legislative initiatives, connected with the charitable sector. The society definitely benefits from the support of charitable organizations.
On the very beginning of every communication campaign a charitable organization should decide what kind of emotions they want to evoke. Public service announcements should not evoke negative emotions such as guilt or embarrassment. People prefer to be a part of solution rather than a part of a problem. That is why charitable organizations with positive messages usually get more social and financial support.
People all over the world regularly run marathons for charity, participate in charitable photo shoots, organize flash mobs such as ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’, etc. Positive and interesting activities encourage more and more people to join charitable practices.
Money can’t buy happiness
The numbers in the study show that 88% respondents have experience of providing assistance in the form of monetary donations. However, many people are constantly forgetting that there are other methods of charitable giving. That is why Zagoriy Foundation has initiated Good Deeds Day in Ukraine — Giving Tuesday. Our strong goal is to show that you can join charitable giving in different ways:
- donating food, clothes, medicines and other items
- providing services for free
- conducting charitable events
- paying for services (education or social)
- offering shelter in own premises
- social entrepreneurship
To sum up, all the good deeds should be driven by rational motives. As a result, your deeds would be not only good, but also effective.