Achieving Excellence in Fundraising. Группа авторов
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risk. However, an experiment that assigned some teens to volunteer, compared to a control group, found that volunteering for four months decreased several cardiovascular risk factors (inflammation, cholesterol, body mass index) even in this young population.
Health Behaviors and Healthcare Usage
Volunteering increases physical activity since it gets people out of the house. Volunteering is especially beneficial for older adults who were previously inactive, with one study finding that their physical activity increased 110 percent after being assigned 4–8 months of volunteering. Older adults who help others more informally also have increased physical activity.
As for healthcare usage, our research finds that older adult volunteers are more likely to use preventative healthcare services: they are 30 percent more likely to get a flu shot, 47 percent more likely to get cholesterol tests, women are 53 percent more likely to receive mammograms and 21 percent more likely to receive Pap smears, and men are 59 percent more likely to receive prostate exams. These can help to identify or prevent more serious health conditions. We also found that volunteers spent 38 percent less time in the hospital compared to nonvolunteers.
Longevity
A meta‐analysis that included 14 studies with over 74,000 older adults found that volunteering was associated with a 47 percent decreased risk of dying overall, and a smaller (24 percent) decreased risk when adjusting for background factors like age, sex, socioeconomic status, physical health, health behaviors, and social connections. Since then, a high‐quality national study of older adults found that volunteers were 44 percent less likely to die than nonvolunteers.
To put this in perspective, eating six or more fruit and vegetables per day lowers mortality risk by 26 percent, and regular exercise lowers mortality risk by between 23 and 33 percent. So, volunteering lowers the risk of early death at least as much as traditional health behaviors. When comparing types of giving, we have found that people who give time (volunteering, giving support, or caregiving), but not money, are less likely to die. Although lots of research finds that charitable giving feels good, this doesn't necessarily translate to a longer life.
The Joy of Giving around the World
Most research on the effects of giving has focused on people from Western cultures. However, there is an emerging cross‐cultural literature that suggests people from all over the world experience the joy of giving and volunteering. Studies have examined between 136 to 142 countries worldwide, and confirmed that in most cultures, volunteering is associated with higher well‐being (86 percent of cultures studied) and better physical health (88 percent of cultures studied) and donating to charity is associated with higher well‐being (90 percent). These results are found even in poor countries where resources are scarcer, and even in an isolated rural village with limited Western influence on a South Pacific Ocean island. They are also not explained by demographic differences in givers compared to nongivers.
The Joy of Giving across the Lifespan
Most research on the effects of giving has been conducted on older adults. Yet, giving time and money also predicts better psychological well‐being and health in middle‐aged adults, young adults, adolescents, children, and even toddlers.
Still the benefits of giving tend to get stronger as people age. This was recently confirmed in a study of over 1.7 million people from 166 nations. Although the study found joy of giving effects at all ages, it also found that 50‐year‐olds experienced double the joy of giving compared to 20‐year‐olds, and 80‐year‐olds experienced even more – 2.74 times that of 20‐year‐olds. Similar patterns were found worldwide. This might be because of different types of volunteer jobs across different age groups, or different motives and emotional responses to giving as people age.
The Joy of Giving during Difficult Times
Giving time and money can promote increased happiness and health even during difficult times. For example, aging adults often face increased difficulty completing tasks like lifting heavy objects or climbing stairs. Research finds that people who have more altruistic attitudes are better able to cope emotionally with such losses of independence. Indeed, those who choose to volunteer despite these limitations live longer than those who do not.
The joy of giving has been found in other groups facing challenges, including those receiving welfare benefits, individuals with disabilities, those with traumatic brain injuries, individuals with lumbar spine disorders, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and older adults with dementia, other forms of cognitive impairment, or living in long‐term care facilities.
Among those with ongoing psychological problems, like post‐traumatic stress disorder or social anxiety, giving can help to manage their symptoms. In fact, research finds that more depressed young people experience more joy of giving than less depressed ones. And among teens who experience adverse childhood experiences, volunteering can help to buffer them from poor mental health. Even individuals who have had trouble with the law experience the joy of giving, which is a hopeful finding suggesting potential motivations and pathways for rehabilitation.
People often increase charitable giving in response to disasters and pandemics, and research finds that such increases in charitable donation are associated with increases in happiness – despite the stress and trauma of the situation itself. In the face of tragedy, giving time and money is not only good for the recipients, but for the givers themselves.
The COVID‐19 pandemic created a uniquely challenging situation in that many givers found it more difficult to give, whether because of financial constraints or being homebound. Even in this time, givers experienced more positive emotions overall. However, givers who also perceived high risk to themselves or their loved ones actually experienced more negative emotions than less generous people. More research will help to uncover the complex implications of giving during the pandemic.
The Limits of Giving
This chapter covers voluntary giving behaviors like volunteering for nonprofits, giving money, and giving support to loved ones. Involuntary giving such as that required by schools, parents, or courts is unlikely to have the same benefits. In addition, caregiving is a more extreme form of giving that is often less voluntary, more intensive, and can include seeing loved ones in pain or distress. Some research finds that caregiving is associated with poorer well‐being and health outcomes. Yet, other research finds that the helping itself can be beneficial, especially with enough support, even though seeing loved ones in distress can be harmful. However, this complex type of giving goes beyond the scope of this review.
When it comes to other types of giving, it is possible for people to give beyond their means. For example, studies have found that volunteering between 1 and 15 hours per week is associated with optimal health and well‐being. However, joyful givers may well know their limits.
As for charitable giving, one recent study found that Americans who donated 10 percent of their incomes were happier than those who donated less. The authors used 10 percent as a cutoff point since some religions encourage tithing, however, they did not explore whether there was a point at which giving was no longer beneficial. This could be because it was highly unusual for people to give 10 percent away – only 2.7 percent of participants did so. Another study found that the more money people gave, the higher their psychological well‐being, and the authors did not find any cutoff point after which there were fewer benefits of giving. In fact, spending money on others is associated with increased well‐being even in lower‐income countries. However, it is reasonable to assume that at a certain point, donating to charity might be bad for well‐being, especially if people give to the point that they cannot take care of their own needs. Still, such over‐giving is rare, and the more common problem is under‐giving.
In general, it seems wise to give from one's surplus resources.