One of the great mysteries of human nature is why some people can spend their entire lives amassing massive wealth (often, but not always, exploiting the less privileged) and then donate it all to charity. Sometimes they even create their own charitable foundation, which they run like a business, to give away their money. Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation would be good examples of this.
This article will explore this topic to try to understand what motivates people to give so generously to charity.
Let me start on the skeptical side. There are some people who are of the opinion that the main motivation behind charitable activities is self-interest. The benefactor might, for example, want to impress his business colleagues with his “generosity” in order to win more business.
Or you might be looking for a tax break – check out charitable-tax-deductions.com for more on that. Or maybe it’s a “karma thing”. He feels that by giving to the poor, then he is entitled to seek even more wealth.
I think there may be some truth to these views, but don’t really believe the skeptics when they say there is an ulterior motive behind all the generous charitable giving. They are denying an important fact: as human beings we have an enormous propensity to simply “do good.” Giving charity certainly creates a great feeling of self-enlightenment. Charity, in all its varieties, brings much joy and peace of mind to all parties involved: the giver derives great satisfaction from giving to a nobleman or cause dear to his heart.
People are also very concerned about social responsibility. By making a contribution to something they believe in, these people feel that, even in a small way, they are making a difference. The idea of leaving the world a better place than you found it has a lot of appeal.
