Charitable giving and acts of kindness are associated with lower stress levels and better emotional resilience, as well as a greater sense of fulfilment and purpose in life. This is partly because giving activates our brain’s reward system, which triggers the release of the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine.
Mental Wellbeing and Physical Benefits
Acts of kindness boost the giver’s own happiness and mental wellbeing as well as helping others. The feel-good hormones released by giving can reduce levels of anxiety and stress, delivering a sense of calm and purpose. Giving can also boost emotional resilience and help prevent – or manage – depression.
Our physical health may also benefit from charitable giving and acts of kindness. Such kindness has been linked to better heart health and even longevity. Regular giving strengthens these benefits further – like going to the gym monthly rather than a one-off visit.
Strengthening Personal Values
Giving to charity has been associated with the feeling of a social conscience, with donors often citing a moral duty to use what they have to help others. This is something strongly rooted in a person’s principles and values, and acting in alignment with these can offer a more fulfilling way to live our lives.
Instilling the Importance of Generosity
Knowing someone who donates to charity can be a catalyst to others when it comes to giving. There’s the potential that our own giving will remind family members and friends of causes they’re passionate about and would like to support.
Sharing the experience of charitable giving with our children is a powerful way to demonstrate their ability to make positive changes in the world.
Building Community
Charitable giving may build and strengthen communities and be an effective way to invest in the places and people that make up our everyday lives. As a member of our own communities, we’re likely in the best position to identify local causes that could benefit from support and donations and have insights into how best to give money or time to have the greatest impact.
Percent for Good Makes Charitable Giving Easy
Percent for Good, founded by Mark Lyttleton, is on a mission to increase charitable giving in the UK. The idea behind this charitable organisation is to help donors choose the causes that matter most to them and give regularly and effortlessly. Each of Percent for Good’s carefully curated Cause Portfolios incorporates high-impact charities that drive meaningful, positive change.