Four Of Grant’s Takeaways

Here are four of Grant’s takeaways about successful giving, all of which are helpful pointers for companies as well as people:

1. Be concerned about others but also about your own interests.  Giving that benefits you and the recipient in some way will lead to a more satisfying and recurring experience.
2. Be strategic in your giving.  If you want to maximize the effect of your giving, don’t give to opportunistic “takers” – give to others who themselves rate giving back as a priority.
3. Give in ways that reinforce your social ties.  Giving back in ways that tap into a social experience makes giving more accessible and desirable.
4. Consolidate your giving into chunks so that the impact is enough to feel gratifying.  It’s the spotlight vs. strobe light theory – a single concentrated source of light yields more impact than diffuse light that lacks focus.

Giving is planned process that does not just happen over night.

Next time you think of giving or donating, remember the "four takeaways".