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 conceptualizes giving behavior within well-known frameworks and theories from psychology, looking at: The framework of problem solving and decision making The role of one's sense of self, as situated in one's social environment Giving 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.

Author Biography

Adrian Sargeant is a world class plenary speaker and international fundraising consultant. He is the Robert F Hartsook Professor of Fundraising at Indiana University, USA and an Adjunct Professor of Fundraising at the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He is one of the world's foremost authorities in the domain of nonprofit marketing and fundraising. He was the founding Managing Editor of the International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing and is the author of numerous books including Fundraising Principles and Practice and Fundraising Management published by Jossey Bass and Routledge, respectively. Jen Shang is an assistant professor at Indiana University - Bloomington, USA and an associate professor at University of Bristol, UK. She is currently the world's only philanthropic psychologist, and her work has been published in journals including Economic Journal, Experimental Economics, Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Marketing and Psychology and Nonprofit Management and Leadership. It has been funded by the National Science Foundation, The Aspen Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Hewlett Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. She is a co-author of Fundraising: Principles and Practice.