About a month ago, in the NY Times, Elizabeth Dunn wrote about a study that found that giving gifted money to others made you feel better than just spending it. In the study, $20 in an envelope was handed out with either instructions to spend it on yourself, or instructions to spend it on someone else. The second group reported being happier with the result than the first group.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opinion/sunday/dont-indulge-be-happy.html?pagewanted=all
I donate less than I would like to. I'd donate the $10K by spreading it around to some hard working single parents, one dedicated middle school teacher, the shelter for battered people, and a couple of food banks in my economically depressed community. It would help a lot of people, while making me feel good too. I'm a philanthropist, but only with two digit amounts of money.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/opinion/sunday/dont-indulge-be-happy.html?pagewanted=all
I donate less than I would like to. I'd donate the $10K by spreading it around to some hard working single parents, one dedicated middle school teacher, the shelter for battered people, and a couple of food banks in my economically depressed community. It would help a lot of people, while making me feel good too. I'm a philanthropist, but only with two digit amounts of money.