How the Search for Meaning Is Driving Bigger Charitable Donations Than Feel-Good Giving
Charitable giving is often described as a feel-good act. For years, researchers and fundraisers alike have assumed that people donate mainly because it gives them a pleasant emotional reward, commonly known as the “warm glow” effect. But new research from West Virginia University suggests something deeper is at work. According to this study, many donors are motivated not just by feeling good, but by a stronger search for meaning, purpose, and human connection—and that motivation can lead to significantly larger donations.
The research comes from Julian Givi, an associate professor of marketing at the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University, and was published in the European Journal of Marketing in 2025. The study explores why people give to charity, how much they give, and what mental frameworks push donors to contribute more generously.
At its core, the research shows that when people think about how their actions make their lives more meaningful, they are willing to give more money to charitable causes than when they focus simply on the pleasure of giving.
Understanding the Difference Between Meaning and Warm-Glow Giving
For a long time, charitable giving has been explained through the idea of warm-glow motivation. This concept suggests that people donate because it makes them feel happy, generous, or morally satisfied. The emotional payoff becomes part of the reward, sometimes even more important than the actual impact of the donation itself.
What Givi’s research highlights is a different psychological pathway. Instead of focusing on emotional pleasure, some donors are motivated by a desire to live a meaningful life—one that feels purposeful, significant, and connected to others. When donors view their contributions as part of something larger than themselves, their generosity increases.
In the study, meaning is described as a sense that one’s life has purpose, impact, and lasting significance. Donations that feel enduring or socially impactful—such as funding education, community projects, or long-term infrastructure—are especially powerful in triggering this mindset.
How Social Connection Shapes Generosity
One of the most important findings in the research is the role of social connectivity. The study shows that the link between meaning and giving is largely explained by the human desire to connect with others. When people believe their donations strengthen social bonds or directly help real individuals, they feel more motivated to give larger amounts.
In other words, the pursuit of meaning increases generosity because it reinforces a sense of human connection. Donors are not just giving money; they are participating in relationships, communities, and shared values.
This insight helps explain why donations tied to visible, personal outcomes—such as building a library, supporting a family, or helping a specific community—often feel more meaningful than abstract or distant causes.
What the Research Actually Found
The researchers conducted multiple experimental studies to examine how different mindsets influence donation behavior. Participants were encouraged to think about either meaning, pleasure, or neither before being asked about charitable donations.
The results were clear and consistent. Participants who were prompted to think about living meaningfully donated larger sums of money than those who were focused on pleasure or placed in a neutral condition. Importantly, this increase was not because meaning-focused individuals felt more emotional joy. Instead, it was because they felt a stronger connection to others and believed their actions mattered more.
This finding is especially interesting because it runs counter to what researchers often see in personal consumption. When people focus on meaning rather than pleasure, they typically spend less on themselves. In charitable contexts, however, meaning has the opposite effect—it encourages greater generosity.
What Donors Say About Meaningful Choices
As part of the research process, participants were asked what making meaningful choices meant to them. Many responses centered on ideas like personal fulfillment, staying true to deeply held values, and making a lasting impact. These themes stood in contrast to the short-term emotional satisfaction commonly associated with pleasure-based decisions.
This distinction matters because it suggests that donors are not simply reacting emotionally to charity appeals. Instead, they are making thoughtful decisions about how giving fits into their broader life goals and personal identities.
Implications for Nonprofits and Fundraisers
The study has clear implications for nonprofit organizations and fundraising professionals. Traditional fundraising campaigns often emphasize the joy of giving or the emotional rush of helping others. While these strategies are not ineffective, the research suggests they may leave significant potential untapped.
Appeals that focus on meaning, values, and social connection may be more effective at encouraging larger donations. This can include highlighting the long-term impact of donations, emphasizing personal stories, and showing how donors become part of a broader human effort.
Practical strategies might include featuring the names, photos, and stories of people who benefit from donations, or clearly explaining how contributions create lasting change. The key is helping donors see how giving fits into a meaningful life narrative, rather than simply making them feel good in the moment.
Why This Research Matters in a Broader Context
Charitable giving plays a critical role in addressing social, educational, and humanitarian challenges around the world. Understanding what motivates generosity can help organizations design better campaigns and ultimately support more people.
This research also contributes to a growing body of work examining how people seek meaning in their lives. As societies become more complex and disconnected, the desire for purpose and connection appears to be shaping decisions in powerful ways—including financial ones.
By showing that meaning can drive generosity more effectively than pleasure, the study challenges long-standing assumptions in both marketing and behavioral economics.
Limitations and Future Research
Like all research, this study has limitations. The experiments were conducted primarily with Western participants, which means cultural differences may influence how meaning and giving interact in other parts of the world. The donation scenarios also involved relatively modest amounts of money, leaving open questions about how meaning-based motivation affects large-scale philanthropy.
Future research could explore how these findings translate into real-world fundraising campaigns or how meaning-focused appeals perform across different cultures and causes. There is also room to study how long-lasting these effects are and whether meaning-based motivation leads to sustained charitable behavior over time.
A Shift in How We Think About Giving
Ultimately, this research suggests a shift in how we understand generosity. While emotional satisfaction plays a role, it may not be the strongest driver of impactful giving. For many donors, the real motivation lies in contributing to something that feels important, connected, and lasting.
As people continue to search for purpose in their lives, charitable giving may increasingly become a way to express values, build connections, and create meaning—not just a way to feel good for a moment.
Research paper: https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-01-2024-0041
