Giving Compass' Take:

• At Philanthropy Daily, Austin Detwiler applies results from a study on infants' giving nature to the benefits of philanthropy in all of human nature.

• How does this study inspire you to give more generously? 

• Learn more about why you should increase participation in philanthropy right away.

In both experiments, the researchers dropped food near the infant. There was then a control group in which adults did not reach for the food (and still 4% of infants offered the food ). For the test group, the researchers reached for the food and found that almost 60% of the infants would regularly offer the food when a silent adult reached for it.

The second experiment was conducted when the infants were hungry. Parents waited until a feeding was approaching, and then they ran the test. Interestingly, in this case 0% of the infants offered their food without the adults reaching for it. But, more than a third (37%) of infants still offered the food when the adult (again, silently) reached for it.

We can glean a few things from this study.

First of all, philanthropy, apparently, is natural to humans. Even in infancy, giving to others that appear to be in need is a spontaneous and natural response to their need. We perceive it without their voicing it, and we respond accordingly.

It’s important for fundraisers to keep this in mind. Our donors become more fully themselves when we give them an opportunity to become donors. Giving to others is good for the donor—as well as right and proper for the very human nature.

A thriving philanthropic sector is a sign of a healthy society in and of itself. In other words, philanthropy is not good merely for what it achieves. It is a good in itself insofar as it offers persons a chance to be what they properly are: social creatures, neighbors.

Read the full article about giving as human nature by Austin Detwiler at Philanthropy Daily.