Although I often write to you, our donors, to share my experiences when I visit the poor in the countries that we help through your generosity, today I would like to share something a little different that I think you will find of interest.

I recently returned from New York City from a very major conference presented by the Direct Marketing Association, to which I was invited by one of our vendors. Here, over a two-day period, we listened to keynote speakers and to experts presenting the newest and most effective ideas and marketing concepts in the world of not-for-profit organizations. Additionally, we participated in round-table discussions that put a practical spin on the theoretical concepts to which we were exposed.

I always return from these conferences with at least a couple of really good ideas that, in the final analysis, end up benefiting the poorest of God’s children whom we serve. At this particular conference, one of our keynote speakers, a highly respected author, gave an enlightening and inspiring talk on why it’s important for everyone to give.

I have often been amazed that when I write and/or speak to some of our most generous donors and thank them for their caring and generosity, they tell me that they are the ones who wish to thank us for giving them the opportunity to share their blessings with others. Frankly, I have always chalked this up to the graciousness and humility of our donors in giving. But after listening to this speaker at the conference, I captured a few insights that help to explain this more fully.

The speaker began with the statement that many people think that wealth (or an increase in wealth) makes people generous. He then added that they now have scientific proof that, in reality, quite the opposite is true: generosity actually increases the wealth of people. He mentioned a number of experiments that prove this hypothesis, but the one that stands most clearly in my mind is one where several groups (consisting of 12 people each) were given equal amounts of “wealth.” Each person in the group was asked to create a budget and show how much money would be allotted to different needs in his or her life, including charitable giving. The group then shared their budgets with each other.

Later, each group was asked to choose a leader among them. Invariably, the groups chose the person who had given the most, the person who had expressed the highest level of generosity. This showed that many people consider the giving of time/service/money as a quality connected to leadership and, thus, people who are generous are more likely to get ahead in life.

The speaker went on to debunk many of the myths that are spread by the “selfish“: that giving makes us poorer (he has never seen an example of it); that people are naturally selfish (he showed that quite the opposite is true); that giving is a luxury (he claims it to be a necessity). It brings to mind a beautiful quote from Anne Frank that reads:

The speaker explained that the body is a delightfully complex mechanism (we know God is a wonderful architect and engineer!), and that when we give, endorphins are released into the brain that give us the same type of “high” as drugs do … except that this is a real high, and not one induced by introducing harmful substances into the body — no harmful side effects here! These are the same endorphins that are released into the brain in moments of beautiful physical intimacy, or that athletes experience when they talk about “runners high.”

Conversely, when one experiences stress, the body releases cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, which are all linked to states of physical illness. Research has found that the act of giving greatly reduces the release of these harmful hormones. The speaker noted that the body is “hard-wired“ to benefit from giving — with better health, more wealth and a wonderful feeling of happiness.

I began to understand that God had designed his most magnificent creation to derive great joy from selfless acts, and this insight made it clear why saints like Mother Teresa found such great happiness, peace and comfort in serving the most wretchedly poor population in the worst slums of Calcutta. It also explains why she received all that she needed for her work without ever having to ask for it.

My wish for you is that you benefit greatly in health, joy and prosperity for your consistent compassion and generosity for the most needy of God’s children.

All best wishes,
Angel A. Aloma
Executive Director