Index IntroductionReasons Why People Do CharityPromoting Charity and DonationsConclusionReferencesIntroductionCharity begins at home and should be spread far and wide. Unfortunately, research data shows that it is declining. In the UK, for example, 43% of Britons who have typically been consistently generous said they had not made any donations to charity in the past 12 months. Charity is voluntary, but given the fact that there is homelessness, famine and poverty, the decline in donations is demoralizing and there is a strong need for people to understand why charity is important. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Austerity has dug deeper into people's lives. While public-spirited individuals have created ways to fill gaps related to dwindling aid, the provision of education, healthcare, and other social services has suffered. As charity declines, so does hope for a better future for children and families who desperately need help. Is generosity just an impulse? Will we no longer touch the lives of needy children? Has all hope disappeared? Reasons Why People Donate Money to Charity For decades, behavioral scientists have been continually fascinated by why people donate money to charity. Studies show that charitable giving falls into three broad categories: Pure altruism where giving is considered a social good. It is a fact that helping others is very empowering and can make people feel happier and more fulfilled. Donors gain internal satisfaction from giving, although the charity may be totally anonymous. Research data shows an association between charitable donations and increased brain activity that registers pleasure. In fact, it is much better to give than to receive. Impure altruism in which giving is because it extracts value. Olson and Becker's studies found that motivations for giving to charity are closely linked to the desire to gain prestige, respect and friendship, to avoid contempt from others and receive social praise. No altruism where giving means showing off wealth, Amihai Glazer and Kai Konrad. distinguish professors and economists, found data showing that people give to charity to signal their wealth status. The preference is more about prestige. Fortunately, charitable donations spread as easily as a virus. If people see other people giving, they will also be influenced to give. Interestingly, people tend to give more if the person asking is someone they know or someone important in their life. They give an encouraging boost to donation decisions and can be likened to rolling snowballs that inspire other people to donate to causes with special meaning. It somehow enhances relationships, however impersonal, through a shared goal. Working together can create a positive impact to make charitable giving sustainable. Furthermore, if donors before them have made large donations, the tendency is to make larger donations themselves. Celebrity supporters rapidly increase charitable donations. Promoting Charity and Donations In charitable giving, people are more often governed by their hearts and emotions rather than their heads. So, all is not lost. Touching lives and giving hope is still possible. The following can help charitable giving in the long run. Today I am/.