The question to my mind is the extent to which a potential donor will get a warm fuzzy. From my casual observations, Poppy Day and Breast Cancer appeals tend to get more passer-bys reaching for their wallet than Red Cross or Amnesty because they tug at the heart strings more. It is easier to avoid thinking about the hardships faced by people overseas but if your grandparents served in WW2 or your friend had a mastectomy then it hits home more. because of these intimate connections, they probably already know something about the causes. The time/opportunity cost it takes to fish out the gold coin is relatively low. Yet if its a new charity they know little about, they may ultimately believe that it is deserving of money but a) it is too remote and b) the cost incurred to obtain that information make it not worth for them (in terms of fuzzies) to stop.

I almost never give to street appeals. Not because I don’t believe in their causes but because I practice mental accounting. I set aside moeny for charities (my favs are World Vision and the Wellington Free Ambulance – *plug plug*) and that is where my donations go.

The discussion about donations brings to mind a debate I saw elsewhere about what altruism actually meant and whether it is truly altruism. Giving to charity gives the fuzzies so it is not altruistic – you are doing it to feel better. Chicken and the egg.