There’s an indisputable link between charitable giving and the social norms that guide our behavior. People are more likely to engage in giving when others do so as well.

Think of the viral popularity of the ice bucket challenge or the palpable energy you feel when you take part in a charity walk or 5k – everyone is excited and now I am too! Some of you may have even felt the acute excitement of getting caught up in a charity auction. You may have entered the evening planning to bid $50 for a nice fruit basket, who knew that $50 would have turned into $250 after multiple bids and rampant applause?

So, how can grantmakers and grantseekers take advantage of that feeling of getting caught up in the thrill of giving? How can we extend the swell of Giving Tuesday into a year-round movement? An easy way to do this is by enforcing the idea of the “rising popularity of giving.” This concept was widely discussed last year when the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy released their report, Encouraging Giving to Women's & Girls' Causes: The Role of Social Norms.

Read the full article about charitable giving and social norms by Jill Richards at Fluxx.