Most people do. They do what? They want more. More money, more time with their family, more vacations and sometimes, they even want to give away more funds. And even though people work hard to earn their money, many give some of it away, often to help strangers.
People give because someone asked them to. Yet why does one donor give to one cause over all the other ones that they are asked to give to.
Most people give to organizations that highlight important values, including for those in need. Donors are also more likely to give when they think that their donation will make a difference. They think if I give, it will help my neighbor or someone else that needs it more than I do.
People often say it makes them feel good to help others. I have a donor at Hadassah in one of my regions who simply told me that no one ever asked her to give to annual giving. She simply had a history of giving a bit here and there and never understood the difference of what annual giving was. She was at an in-person event (pre Covid-19) and was talking with other colleagues. When she spoke to me on the phone, I explained it all including that annual giving is a yearly commitment to donate to Hadassah’s many fundraising initiatives (Hadassah Medical Organization, Young Judea and Youth Aliyah). You can change your levels of giving (increase or decrease if necessary) and you certainly are helping others.
She is now on her Hadassah Region board for annual giving. She has spread her knowledge of Hadassah to others as well. She has learned that it is important to continue outreach and expand the Hadassah community. This is important to sustain Hadassah’s work and create a lifeline for the future.
People are more likely to give to those that they trust will use their donated money to make a difference. People find it important to help others in need.
Many donors say that they give because their donations matter to someone they know and care about. People who know someone who has died donate in the name of this loved one, family member or friend. In fact, my father-in-law, Irving Levine passed away unexpectedly recently just shy of his 100th birthday. He was a lover of Hadassah and so we, the family asked our friends, family and others to give to Hadassah in his name. It is so meaningful to me that they have honored his legacy in this way. I am holding it near and dear to my heart.
Or people may invite friends to a fundraiser for one of their favorite charities or just directly ask for a contribution.
People receive tax breaks in exchange for their gifts to charity which can be a motivating factor for giving. Charitable donations of goods and money to qualified organizations can be deducted on your income taxes, lowering your taxable income. Deductions for charitable donations generally cannot exceed 60% of your adjusted gross income, though in some cases limits of 20%, 30% or 50% may apply.
People give because someone asked them to. Yet that doesn’t solve the question of how donors who are approached by many causes choose which ones they will support. So far, we know that people seem to be more motivated by how they can help others when they give, rather than what they can get. I do my best to motivate others daily to give. It is empowering and helpful simultaneously.
Donors are also more likely to give when they think that their donation will make a difference. They also consider how giving makes them feel. It makes a person feel good when they help others. At the Hadassah-supported Youth Aliyah Villages, at-risk children receive the support they need to become productive and happy members of Israeli society. Nearly a third of children in Israel live in poverty, and almost half a million suffer from high-risk situations such as abuse, learning disabilities or a lack of basic needs. Still others come to us from places around the world where it is no longer safe to be a Jew.
Central to our mission is the well-being of future generations, and the Hadassah-supported Meir Shfeyah and Neurim Youth Aliyah Villages help put these children on a path to success. Since 1934, over 300,000 students from 80 lands have graduated from Youth Aliyah.
Young immigrants and at-risk native Israelis receive a full spectrum of help — shelter, food, counseling, education and other supportive services. From Hebrew lessons and classes on Jewish heritage to athletics and art, they get the care and attention needed to become productive members of Israeli society.
People are more likely to give to those that they trust will use their donated money to make a difference. Donors tell us again and again that they find it important to help others in need. My children (ages 13 and 15) even tell me they give to organizations that help others (Jewish Family Services is just one example).
Many donors say that they give because their donations matter to someone they know and care about. People who know someone who has had a disease can donate to charity that promotes research for that disease. Breast cancer is the second most deadly cancer for women in the US, causing 40,000 deaths each year. Hadassah researchers confirmed that Ashkenazi Jews have at least a 10 times greater prevalence of BRCA1 gene mutations which can cause breast and ovarian cancer.
At Hadassah, we’re fighting back with three proven strategies: education and awareness, US advocacy and support for groundbreaking research at the Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO).
Use your power and advocate to protect women’s health coverage and expand research funding. Take an active role in educating yourself and your family by understanding the risks and signs, knowing your family’s medical history and talking to your doctor about mammograms and genetic counseling, if needed. Then use your voice and spread the word.
Or people may invite friends to a fundraiser for one of their favorite charities or just directly ask for a contribution. Have you tried to convince someone to donate to your organization? Think of what were the convincing words that swayed them to support your cause. Passion, care, commitment and personal one-on-one discussion all come into play.
I hope that my work as an Annual Giving Officer with Hadassah empowers others to give and to feel as if they are doing something good for the world.
“We rise by lifting others,” states Robert Ingersoll. So true, so true. Let’s all remember this, and we will be better individuals, better citizens and better partners to one another.