Monterey, CA Despite The Poor Economy, People Want To Give Back To Charities After All, Shows A Scientific Study

View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

There was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal entitled, Hard wired for giving : Are humans really so selfish?  Scientists are finding that the brain is built for generosity and they're identifying the precise circuits behind our urge to give."  What a fascinating research project.  I would like to believe that deep down, most people are generous.  It's been particularly difficult for non-profits to raise money after the recession.  Despite signs that the economy is improving, people are still skeptical that we could go back into a recession. Unemployment is high and many people took big hits to their stock portfolio and home values.  And taxes are high, making the richest even more reticent to give.  Therefore, it was great to read that a new scientific research project using an fMRI maching is showing that the brain gives a pleasurable response when we are generous.  Dr. Jordan Grafman, director of brain injury research at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is investigating specific regions of the brain which impact altruistic behavior.  He became interested in this area of research after treating veterans returning from war back in the 1980s who had suffered damage to their frontal lobes.  Family members began telling him that they were acting as if they didn't care what other people said.  In 2000, he began working at the National Institutes of Health, and this is where he first started looking at which part of the brain empathy and generosity signals were coming from.  It's great to see someone so dedicated to a research project and I wish Dr. Grafman well in his research.  If you are interested in attending our Gala Event which will be held at Bernardus Lodge on September 19, please

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.