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Why you should keep giving during a recession and alternative ways to do it
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Tiero/Dreamstime.com
As the recession pinches savings and disposable income, many people have stopped donating to their favorite non-profits. There are many reasons why you should continue giving in a recession and alternative ways to do it.
Let’s first consider “why”. According to a study reported on LifeSciences.com, doing good things for others actually makes you happier. Even the The New York Times reported earlier this year that the "warm glow effect" you feel when you give to others is due to a pleasure center of the brain that is measurable on a brain scan. So, giving to others actually has a positive physical effect on our bodies and mood.
But, what if you’ve got nothing or very little to spare? Perhaps these alternative options could still keep you feeling good about yourself and your life:
1. Give just a little
You don’t have to be rich to donate. Any gesture of generosity, not matter how small, makes a difference. Don’t think it must be an “all or nothing” approach. In fact, according to Giving USA, over 98% of all funding for non-profits comes from donors who give in small amounts.
2. Give time
Many non-profits can only survive through volunteerism. Your time is a precious commodity to them. If you can’t give money, give an hour or a day a month. If you’re out of work, you might even find a new passion or connection.
3. Give items
Depending on the non-profit, anything from silverware to clothing to furniture to keyboards could be a welcome donation. All of us have plenty of stuff we’re not using anymore that could help another person live their life a little easier.
4. Give unconditionally
Most importantly, when you give, never expect anything in return—except perhaps a tax receipt. When you give unconditionally, it’s like releasing thousands of molecules of love and compassion into the universe that attach themselves to people, places and events. How awesome is that!
In the words of Audrey Hepburn, “Giving is like living. If you stop wanting to give...there’s nothing more to live for.”
A final note for those of you living on the San Francisco peninsula. I’m a regular volunteer for a much needed organization called Shelter Network. (www.shelternetwork.org). They provide housing and support services that create opportunities for homeless families and individuals to re-establish self-sufficiency and to return to permanent homes of their own. If this is something that resonates with you, please check out their site to learn more.
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