# The Psychology of Philanthropy: The science behind giving

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/psychology-philanthropy-science-behind-giving/
- Published: 2016-03-19T23:54:33+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Giving, within the traditional discipline of philanthropy and psychology, is a powerful
behavior capable of fulfilling our fundamental human needs to connect with others
and build confidence in our ability to make a difference in the world… so why isn’t
it more common? This text examines a potentially powerful driver that givers and
fundraisers can leverage to grow giving: the giver’s self-concept system and its
development through giving.

_The Psychology of Philanthropy _conceptualises giving behaviour within well-known
frameworks and theories from psychology, looking at:The framework of problem solving
and decision makingThe role of one’s sense of self, as situated in one’s social 
environmentGiving decisions as both a consequence and a reinforcement of one’s sense
of self.

Ultimately, it explains why a giver’s sense of who they are is the fundamental determinant
of whether human need will lead to giving and whether giving will fulfill human 
need.

With easy-to-access explanations of the psychological science of giving, complemented
by case studies and chapter exercises, this book will help aspiring and professional
fundraisers to better understand and develop strategies to grow giving.