And so we learn early: It is better to give than to receive. The venerable aphorism is drummed into our heads from our first slice of a shared birthday cake. But is there a deeper truth behind the truism?

Knowing what motivates your donors to give to your organization is vital to the growth and longevity of your relationship. Have they been personally affected by your mission? Is it part of a family tradition, or did they learn about you through social networks?

People tend to feel more connected to their community, more fulfilled, and more purposeful when volunteering, so if you’ve thought about giving your time to a nonprofit group, give them a call!

People generally aren't used to kindness from strangers. Most of us are too wrapped up in our lives to pay much attention to anyone else.That's why it's so striking when strangers do something unexpected.

In 2 studies from 2018, researchers evaluated the psychological responses of individuals who gave similar or equal gifts to someone else, versus receiving those same gifts themselves over the course of a set time period. The results observed that giving to an individual or charity elicited a longer, more resonating feeling of happiness than receiving the same or similar gift themselves.