Even in today's flush economy, requests for financial help come from seemingly everywhere, and a person can't say yes to all of them. (And some people are philosophically opposed to saying yes to any of them). So, how do you decide whether or not to give to a particular cause?

THE REASONS PEOPLE GIVE
Some generous donors are motivated purely by compassion, while others have altruistic motives combined with more personal reasons. Here are some of the most-common reasons people give:

	PROFILES IN GIVING Jeffrey Skoll "Everybody goes through life wishing they could change things, and sometimes they say, 'If I ever make it, I'll come back and change it.' " Read more

Altruism: Many givers are concerned about making a difference with their lives, and charitable giving is part of how they do it.

Self-Interest: Gifts to organizations that directly benefit us - such as museums we like to visit or public radio stations we count on for news - have an element of self-interest. So do contributions that provide tax deductions.

Giving Back: Grateful for their good fortune in life, many people want to "give something back" in appreciation to a school or organization that helped them.

Memorials: Many charitable contributions are also given to memorialize someone before or after death.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? Several of the reasons above may be at work when you make a giving plan, and there may be other reasons as well - such as those cited by the Independent Sector, which asked people who contributed to charities what they thought motivated them. The most frequent responses: • They were personally asked to give by someone they knew well (77%) • They volunteered at the organization (63%) • Clergy asked them to give (61%) • A news story motivated them (47% ) • They were asked at work to give (46%).

Family Tradition: Some parents consider generosity and social responsibility to be important ethical values to teach their children, so they make giving important year-round as well as a holiday-centered tradition. (For more information, read the Independent Sector's report on how childhood experiences affected adult philanthropic behavior.)

. . . AND WHY THEY DON'T
Financial
The Independent Sector survey (right) also asked non-contributors about their reasons for not giving. Most of the reasons were financial: 69% said they could not afford to give; 47% said they were making less money this year than last; 46% said they would rather spend their money in other ways; 39% were unsure about having a job next year.

Philosophical
Some people are philosophically opposed to charitable contributions. Others suspect their contributions might be wasted or misused - an attitude bolstered by the occasional, through infrequent, scandal in a charitable organization. The Independent Sector survey also found that 46% of the non-givers surveyed had a negative reaction to being asked to give at work.

Next: Step 2: How Much To Give?

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