Simple Giving

A Conversation With

JENNIFER IACOVELLI

Author of Simple Giving

1. Most of us will donate every once in a while – when a friend is fundraising or when the Salvation Army Santa is ringing his bell at the grocery store. But what are some steps we can take right now to incorporate giving into our daily lives that might not necessarily involve donating money or a specific event to inspire us?

The key is to start making giving top of mind so that you recognize opportunities when they present themselves. It could be sending in extra money for a field trip fee to cover one of your child’s classmates who can’t afford it or offering to babysit for a single mom so she can have some time to herself. Take some blankets you no longer use to your local homeless shelter or write a thank you note to someone who made an impact on your life. And don’t forget to talk to your kids, friends, family and others about your actions to inspire them to do the same or join you as a simple giver. The possibilities are endless!

2. You note in Chapter 3 that social scientists James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis have shown that acts of generosity and kindness are in fact contagious – can you explain this study a bit more? What are examples of a few, more unique, random acts of kindness that people could do today?

In this study, Fowler and Christakis put together a set of games that lasted 5 rounds. In each round, 120 students in groups of four could decide how much money to give to the group at a personal cost. They were told what other people did at the end of each round. The groups were mixed so that no two people were put in the same group twice. They found that when one person gave an extra dollar in the first round, the people in her group each tended to give about 20 cents more in the second round, even though those people had been placed in completely new and different groups, with different people. This trend continued in other rounds as well.

One of my favorite random acts of kindness is to put “coffee on the wall.” The idea is to purchase an extra coffee (or sandwich, etc.) when you place your order and tell the cashier to put that purchase “on the wall.” I’ve heard of this being used so that homeless people can come in and grab a hot coffee or sandwich, sort of like a coupon. It can become contagious when others get wind of what’s going on. You could also feed a parking meter with quarters or shovel a neighbor’s driveway when they are asleep or away at work.

3. You’ve focused your blog and now this book on both celebrating those who give and encouraging others to incorporate giving into their lives. What are some ways we might leverage social media to “give it forward,” inspire others, and ultimately make giving sustainable over time?

Social media is a great tool to use for giving it forward since we already have an audience that we have some influence over. If people are following you, hopefully they want to hear from you! Sharing your experiences with giving can be powerful. Check in to the organization you are volunteering for and take some photos (if appropriate) of you in action. Talk about how it feels to be there and why it’s important you work with the organization. Ask people to join you in supporting a cause and give them specific ways to take action – sharing a post, donating small items from a wish list, showing up to an event, watching a video, etc. Participate in Twitter chats on topics that are important to you. Networks like Mom Bloggers for Social Good and ONE.org do a great job of getting their members involved in global conversations, and you can join for free. Share the stories that inspire you to give or want to give more. Talk about it. Open the conversation about giving so that others will be inspired to join you!

4. “Fair Trade,” “Sustainable,” “Eco-Friendly” – these are just a few of the terms found on many products today from coffee to lip gloss to clothing – what do these mean exactly? Are these terms regulated at all? What other labels should consumers look for when shopping consciously?

Great questions! Unfortunately, these terms have become buzzwords that many companies like to use on their packaging to boost sales. Fair trade means that fair prices were paid to producers in developing countries. This definition can become much broader when you look at the fair trade organizations that offer certification. If a company is certified fair trade, they will have had to go through a rigorous process to show they abide by the principles set forth by the organization. With that said, I’ve talked with companies that are fair trade but have not gone through this process.

Words like sustainable and eco-friendly seem to be used so much that the meaning behind them has become lost. My advice is to take some time to look into the products you buy. Look at where they are made, the packaging they come in, the materials or ingredients they are produced with, and the companies behind them. Can you pronounce the ingredients? Does the country of origin have a bad reputation when it comes to ethical treatment of workers? Are you able to find information on the company’s carbon footprint or business practices? Taking the extra time to look into what you are buying can make a big difference in the long run.

5. What were some of the most surprising statistics or scientific findings about giving and philanthropy that you discovered during your research for this book?

I was fascinated by some of the research that linked giving to our health and well-being. While it makes sense to say that giving makes us feel happier – because it does! – I was surprised to see that it affects our physical health as well. One study actually found lower inflammation levels in those whose lives included compassion, altruism, and greater meaning. Higher inflammation levels are linked to stress, cancer and other diseases. Another study reported that a combination of grit and gratitude has been shown to decrease suicidal thoughts, independent of depression symptoms. I also found the idea that our pull to give might have an evolutionary aspect to it fascinating – i.e., we reward those who are more giving and punish those who are not. Sort of a survival of the giving-est.

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SIMPLE GIVING
Easy Ways to Give Every Day

By Jennifer Iacovelli

On Sale October 27, 2015

Tarcher Perigee Paperback| ISBN: 978-0-399-17245-8 | Price: $14.95