Giving Till It Hurts - WSJ.com
Giving Till It Hurts - WSJ.com They are forgoing vacation homes, early retirement and college saving plans. Sally Beatty on the increasing number of ’stretch’ givers who donate out of proportion to their wealth.
… Arthur C. Brooks argues in his book “Who Really Cares,” which identifies the forces behind American charity, that people who give in a way that pinches are happier and, surprisingly, end up wealthier. According to Mr. Brooks’s analysis, a dollar donated to charity led to $3.75 in extra income for the donor in 2000. “They often create great discomfort among their families, but when people give there is substantial personal transformation,” says Mr. Brooks, an economist and professor of public administration at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. “They tend to work harder,” leading to greater prosperity, and in the long run, he says, “this leads to more success, both financial and nonfinancial.”
