Why "doing good" is good for you and your family

Did you know that “doing good” is actually good for you, your health, and your mood?

At first glance, philanthropy and positive psychology appear to have very little in common. Philanthropy is a term generally associated with giving money to charities, doing good in the community, and creating social value. Positive psychology usually connotes an academic approach to emotional strengths and virtues that enable people to thrive.

But there is indeed a connection. After all, philanthropy, according to the classic dictionary definition, means a “love of humanity” in the sense of caring, nourishing, developing, and enhancing “what it is to be human” on both the benefactors’ and beneficiaries’ parts. The connection is right there.

What’s more, the benefits aren’t limited to your mood. After scouring websites, journals, blogs, articles, and more, a team of researchers uncovered dozens of studies linking philanthropic behavior and improved physical health. Research suggests activities such as volunteering and giving can lead to a longer life, lower blood pressure, and better pain management.

Your whole family can “do good” and feel even better when you work with the team at the Community Foundation.

How to start talking about philanthropy with kids of any age

Giving comes in a variety of forms. It’s especially important to emphasize this with your children so that they feel empowered to make a difference in other people’s lives in the ways that mean the most to them. This is one of the best ways to instill philanthropic values that will last a lifetime.

Here are three ideas for starting the conversation with kids of any age: 

• Encourage children to reflect on their own gratitude as they write thank you notes for holiday gifts or birthday presents. 

• Encourage children to review the wide range of their own social impact activities, including giving to charities, volunteering, serving on boards, recycling, donating food and clothing  to people in need, and even caring for their own health and wellness. 

• Plan one or two social impact and charitable giving activities with your children each month.

Get involved with the Community Foundation to learn even more!

What's your social impact personality type?

Taking time to think about other people is what doing good is all about. And it should make you happy, too. When you are in touch with an indicator known as your “Social Impact Personality Type,” you’ll naturally be drawn to the ways you find the most meaning and enjoyment in doing good. Here are the types: 

• Investors prefer to engage in social impact activities that are independent and do not require scheduling dedicated time or working directly with others in the pursuit of a charitable endeavor.

• Connectors prefer to engage in social impact activities that are social in nature, involving the opportunity to get together with others.

• Activators are passionate about participating in the causes they care most about, and they tend to focus on “changing the world” and impacting one or more social issues on a broad scale.

Are you an Activator, Investor, or Connector? You can’t go wrong! Philanthropy is about celebrating what it is to be human. What matters is that you feel good about the ways you’re making a difference in others’ lives and enriching your own life, too. You are human. That’s all it takes to make lives better--both your own and those of people in need. 

Learn how to get your family involved in philanthropy by working with the team at the Community Foundation.