Donating To Charity At Christmas Time

Since it's the Christmas season, it's also the giving season, as in donate money to that Santa ringing his bell in front of  what seems to be every mall or store in town. So why do so many of us dodge the ringers and other solicitors each holiday season by entering a store through a door where there isn't a pot to donate? I give to charity often and Americans are supposed to have, according to research comparing charity donations per nation, the most  generous people of all nations.

A growing body of research shows the lengths to which people will go to avoid being asked for donations at holiday time is large. Maybe we avoid because we gave elsewhere or because we don't have the money to give at that particular time. It may feel good to escape that Santa with the money pot by evading a situation that we find embarrassing or awkward, but it also may be counterproductive to our happiness. That's because research says that most of us would lead happier lives if we could find ways to commit ourselves to being more generous.

In one give at Christmas study economists and the Salvation Army, known for having the greatest Santa bell ringing solicitors. Here's what was discovered. to explore how bell ringers might bring out the more generous side of holiday shoppers. The Santa's stood at one or both main entrances to a Boston area store at Christmastime. They instructed the Santa's to follow one of two scripts: They would either ring their bells silently, avoiding eye contact, or try to make eye contact with each passerby, along with a greeting: “Hi, how are you? Merry Christmas. Please give today.”

In the end the friendly, chatty Santa bell ringers were more effective at persuading shoppers to donate. Donations went up by 50% or more if bell ringers at both entrances engaged shoppers rather than just standing by silently.  When an engaged bell ringer stood at just one of the store's two main entrances: Traffic at the other door increased by 7%.  Yep! people went in the door without the Santa's to avoid being solicited.

Further, the study said that when bell ringers asked for donations at both doors, the combined foot traffic for the doors fell by a whopping 20%. It turned out that, unbeknown to the researchers, there was a third entrance to the store, labeled only as “recycling area.” Rather than deal with the Santa's, many shoppers were sneaking around to the side entrance.

Sneaking to the un-Santa (I made up that word) entrance shows what you and I both already know. That is, we feel more obligated to give to charity when asked, because we want to avoid looking like a cheapskate. It also explains why, after we first we donate to a charity, the charity never stops asking for more money, via phone or mail. Also, the study shows that those who avoid the Santa bell ringers may be generous people who just find those Santa's annoying or who think donating in public is not appropriate.

Oh, before I leave you here, I already donated at the mall. Put down your bell and find someone else for your next donation.