This time of year, my mailbox and inbox are full of requests from charitable organizations. Some I make gifts to while others get thrown in the trash. It started me thinking about why people give…so I did an informal poll with friends and family to find out why they give to various causes and not to others. It was nothing official and I received lots of great answers, but I also saw some common themes that I wanted to share.
1) People give to missions that they feel connected to and align with their values – missions that address things that are important to them like hunger, homelessness, children, faith, the environment, culture, and justice issues seemed to be high on that list. Those I polled gravitated towards organizations that have had strong impact in those areas.
2) People give to causes they feel can make a difference – if you’ve ever noticed, there are many organizations that serve a particular cause, but some do it better than others. Those I polled shared that stories of impact and the numbers to back it up are essential in their decision making.
3) People want to feel a part of something bigger than themselves – Look at the response to Hurricane Helene…it was overwhelming. The community didn’t live nearby, but they empathized with what those impacted were going through and stepped in to help. The collective effort felt amazing to be part of because everyone knew that they items were headed there to help.
4) People give to people they know – giving locally was high on the list for many that I asked. They felt that resources staying local could have a positive impact on their neighbors and their community.
5) People give to causes that they feel can steward resources well – I heard this a number of times. They want to see that the money they provide the cause is used as intended and is applied to the programs they offer. That said, they also wanted to see that the organization is well run, professionally staffed and equipped to do the job, so they didn’t mind providing resources to do so.
I share these commonalities about giving because I think they are important in making giving decisions this year, and particularly in the possibility of making a gift to The Open Link.
As you evaluate what is important to you in making a charitable donation, think about the five reasons I’ve shared above about why people give and measure The Open Link against them. I hope that you will find that we meet or exceed your expectations of impact, giving locally, aligning with community values, feeling part of something bigger, problem solving and of course, stewarding the resources well.
Much of this website is dedicated to providing information about where your gift goes. Whether it be providing food through the pantry and Pantry Without Walls, helping adult learners obtain their high school diplomas, providing a hot lunch for seniors, holiday programming for children or economic support for community members in need of a hand up; The Open Link is there and serving as many of your neighbors as possible.
It is only possible to serve this community because of the support you provide, so if you have questions, comments or want to learn more about where your gift goes, I urge you to start with the 2023-24 Impact Sheet and if you still have more questions, please contact me: MarianneL@theopenlink.org and thanks for giving!
