Why Do We Give?

By Allen Caudle, Executive Vice President, Crisis and Training

On April 16 and 17, I will ride my bicycle from Houston to Austin participating in the MS150 for the sixth time. For those not familiar with the MS150, it is a two day charity bicycle tour benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Society that successfully moves 13,000 bicyclists and some 5,000 volunteers over a 180 mile route from Houston to Austin and raises more than $15 million each year. I marvel at the amazing planning and execution of this event as they safely move this crowd, hydrate and feed it every 10 miles, provide lunch, dinner, breakfast and lunch again to all participants and volunteers, and have smiling faces at the end on the steps of the Capital.

I rode about 110 miles this weekend to train. I admit, I enjoy riding my bike and I receive great humor from looking at the amazing things people will wear to ride a bicycle. This week was the team from one of the hospital radiology departments attired in the skin tight shorts and shirt with the anatomically correct skeleton print. And there was the rider adorned in black and white prison stripes being chased by another rider with a jersey that read POLICE. All in all this weekend, I was on the bike six hours and my thoughts wandered to “why do 13,000 people agree to give a minimum of $450 per person to participate in this event. Why has this event been so incredibly successful for 26 years?”

I started my thoughts with “Why do I give?” The first time I signed up for this ride was because I enjoy cycling, it sounded like fun and my oldest daughter wanted to see if she could do it. As I began my fundraising that first year, I became aware there were a lot of people that I know or their relatives that are touched by this disease. These people were willing to be quite generous and supportive of my efforts.

That first year, as I rode, I enjoyed reading the signs of encouragement along the way. But it tore my heart out and reduced me to tears when victims of MS came out to the roadside in wheelchairs and on crutches to cheer me on and thank me for my effort. It was then that I knew the answer to why I give. I give to those who can’t help themselves. And I give because as a collective group of 13,000 participants, we raise enough money to make a difference.

But why are people so giving?

I happen to live in one of the most giving cities in America, Houston, Texas. I’ve been to charity galas and watched the city’s wealthiest write checks on the spot for half a million dollars and we’ve written more than one news release for a not-for-profit announcing the receipt of a multi-million dollar gift. Why do we give?

I’ve watched the entire city of Houston rally to welcome and support hurricane Katrina victims. We’ve all watched our nation rally to support Haiti and now Japan. Why do we give?

In 2006, Albert Oetgen, NBC News, wrote an article entitled, “Why do Americans Give”:

It’s complicated. And none of this seems to settle it.

But perhaps this does:

Independent Sector, a charity umbrella group, is one of the many organizations that periodically examine the question. In its most recent comprehensive study, in 2001, 84 percent of donors said they believe they can improve the welfare of others.

Buried in the 2001 study by Independent Sector is the fact that households in which members volunteer for charitable causes or at their church give more than twice as much money to charities than households with no volunteers.

Yet those of us who give time also give twice the money as those who don’t.

It seems then, we give because we are good. The part of the American character that is hopeful and generous — while flawed, while not perfect — is fundamentally intact.

Sean Stannard-Stockton, CEO of Tactical Philanthropy Advisors answers the question well:

“Humans are communal animals. Without “others” we find life intolerable. If a person sacrifices themselves for another, it is not simply “unselfish”, it is because they would be completely miserable if they chose to look the other way. Any parent knows that the happiness and health of their children is more important than their own needs. This isn’t “unselfish”; it is just a fact of life. It is hardwired into our DNA."

With all the unrest and wars in the world, with all the shootings and robberies reported every day, isn’t it great to know that deep down inside instinctively, we care for each other.