We know that it feels good to give our time and money to others, and there has been a great deal of research on how to give to maximize those feelings.
It stands to reason that if you were able to give more to your fellow man, you would end up more satisfied. Most of us do what we can and enjoy splurging on the occasional fancy Christmas gift, volunteering at the soup kitchen, or picking up trash in our parks. We use our limited means, even though times are tough, to bring a little more joy into the world.
There are those, however, that have the capability to give so much more than the average well-meaning person. With the fortune to affect great change in the world and be a true catalyst for social well-being, how do they go about achieving their charitable endorphin rush?
How do they choose who is worthy of the windfall? Their choice of charity can be a reflection both on their success, and on where they started. Perhaps some are interested in the tax deductions and positive press of philanthropy.
Some surely see it as a chance to make a remarkable difference to millions of people. Do they feel a greater sense of well-being than those of us who can only spare a few dollars for Santa’s kettle, or is it all relative?
A little kindness is free, but a grand gesture can cost. It’s heartening that there are, whatever their motivation, people in this world who give so freely of their wealth in order to improve the happiness of many.
Source: WhoIsHostingThis.com
Sources
- #16 Jeff Bezos – forbes.com
- Five Rich Tech Titans and What They’ve Given to Charity – techland.time.com
- Bezos, Five Ways: The Jeff Bezos You Don’t Know – washingtonian.com
- The Politics of Jeff Bezos – washingtonpost.com
- Jeff Bezos’s Other Endeavor: Charter Schools, Neoliberal Education Reforms – thenation.com
- #9 Larry Page – forbes.com
- Google’s Larry Page Donates Millions for Research on Voice Loss – eweek.com
- Google CEO Larry Page Says Donate to a Techie, Not a Charity – deseretnews.com
- Google CEO Larry Page Gave $177-Million to Charity Last Month – philanthropy.com
- Jerry Yang – forbes.com
- Givin’ It All Away – forbes.com
- Sandra Lerner Net Worth – therichest.com
- Gordon Moore – insidephilanthropy.com
- Gordon Moore – forbes.com
- Bill Gates – insidephilanthropy.com
- Bill Gates Makes World’s Biggest Ever Single Charitable Donation with £6.2bn for Vaccines for Children – dailymail.co.uk
- The 12 Biggest Bill Gates Donations – spearswms.com
- Philanthropy Quotes – nptrust.org
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
