Why Charity?

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There are many forms of charity spread throughout America. Many organizations are new but the idea of charity has been around since humans learned to feel compassion. A common misconception is that the only way to give charity is to donate money. Although it’s obvious that money can be help there are so many other ways to help. More than ever Americans are donating their time and money to various organizations trying to help others. The American economy hasn’t been this bad since the Great Depression. “Charitable giving in the United States exceeded $300 billion for the second year in a row in 2008” (“GivingUSA Foundation,” 2009, p. 1). This raises the question of why people donate to charities. There is not one answer to this question because every person has different reason and circumstances. While some people involved with charities may have the best intentions, people of the same organization could have the worst. Often, it is hard to tell the difference. Finding out why people donate to charity could help judge which charities are worthy of you time and money. Why people give to charity is effected by many factors such as the meaning of life, personal needs, religion, and organizations. Many search for the meaning of life, lives have been devoted to this very cause but there has never been a clear answer. We search for this by trying to connect with others and the world around us. Many believe a good start to find the meaning of life is to help others. Starting on this journey can sometimes lead to a euphoric feeling of I am on the right path. The meaning of life is created individually. It can change with each person but some things remain constant. In “The Meaning of Life” (2008), it says that “Another uncont... ... middle of paper ... ...elp. People must be educated on what charities to give to. American’s do want to help but they need it made easy for them. Organizations make it possible for people to donate time easily while actually making a difference in local lives. The exact reason why people donate to charity will never be found. There are just too many reasons and not one outweighs the other. Although, many of the reasons are in plain sight such as the meaning of life, personal needs, religion, and organizations. Works Cited Metz, Thaddeus, "The Meaning of Life", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2008) Retrieved from plato.stanford.edu/archives/entries/life-meaning/. GivingUSA Foundation, (2009), Retrieved from www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/News/2009/docs/GivingReaches300billion_06102009.pdf AllPsych, (2004), Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/maslow.html

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