Why do we give? This may appear to be a simple question on the surface, but the roots of why we feel compelled to give go deeper into human psychology than we might expect.
We are also called to give to those in need by the Lord, and it is a hallmark of our Catholic faith.
Let’s look at why we feel the desire to give from a psychological perspective.
Admittedly, I am not a psychologist, but my research for this article has allowed me to draw the following conclusions.
Humans are wired for empathy, driven by mirror neurons that help us feel others’ emotions.
Giving to alleviate suffering activates this, providing a sense of connection and purpose.
Studies show that giving triggers reward centers in the brain, like the ventral striatum, creating a “warm glow” effect.
Essentially, we are, in some sense, quite literally created with a desire to give.
Another reason why people may feel the desire to give is based on the personal impact that giving creates.
My research suggests that people are more inspired by stories of individual impact rather than statistics.
For instance, hearing how a donation provided a seeing-eye dog for a specific blind person can be more motivating for some than learning about general funding directed towards thousands of people.
This personal connection makes giving feel meaningful and forges a strong sense of a personal bond.
Apart from these psychological insights, our Catholic faith has much to say about giving from a spiritual perspective. Catholics are called to imitate Jesus Christ, who exemplified self-giving love.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes “works of mercy” as a response to God’s love, encouraging acts like feeding the hungry or donating to the poor (CCC 2447).
This is rooted in Jesus’ teachings, such as “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12-13).
Our Catholic faith also emphasizes the communal nature of salvation, where we are all part of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
Acts of charity are seen as serving Christ himself, as Jesus taught in Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
As such, it is important that we always remember the poor.
Our recently departed Pope Francis said, “Whenever we encounter a poor person, we cannot look away, for that would prevent us from encountering the face of the Lord Jesus.”
In many ways, he made his pontificate centered around serving the poor.
Hopefully, we can learn from him in this way and follow the words of Christ, which encourage us to give to the poor and those in need.
There are many reasons why we should give to the poor and to those in need. We are psychologically wired and encouraged by God to do so.
In my opinion, it can be difficult to give sometimes, as we also feel worried about providing for our own lives.
But giving is ultimately showing that we trust in God to provide for us.
If you feel compelled to give, please visit the Catholic Diocese of Madison Fondation (CDMF) website at
diocesemadisonfoundation.org to learn more about many ways to give to those in need, or give us a call at 608-821-3048.
Also, consider asking your parish priest if he has considered starting an endowment fund with the CDMF.
We would be happy to help in any way possible as we work together to serve Christ and his Church here in the Diocese of Madison.
Grant McGurn is the operations manager for the Catholic Diocese of Madison Foundation.