​* From most important to least they were: altruism, trust, social, (financial) constraints, egoism and taxes. Because “ATSCET” is hard to remember, we chose the handy acronym TASTE for Charity.
Trust
People are more likely to give to nonprofits that they trust will use their donated money to make a difference.
Altruism
Donors tell us again and again that they find it important to help others in need. This reinforces earlier findings by other scholars that find that the most important reason for volunteering is altruistic concern for others.
Buying cookies for the armed forces because you know her is a sign that social motivations shape your charitable giving.
Social
Many donors say that they give because their donations matter to someone they know and care about. For example, many married couples often make charitable donation decisions together. People who know someone who has a disease or who has died from one may make a donation to charity that promotes research for that disease. Or people may invite friends to a fundraiser for one of their favorite charities or just directly ask for a contribution when they ring their neighbors’ doorbells with their cookie forms in hand.
Taxes
The tax breaks many people get in exchange for their gifts to charity are another motivating factor for giving.
Egoism
Egoism is when people give in order to receive some personal benefit, such as feeling good or looking good to others. Our respondents also cited this motivation.
Financial constraints
In addition to those five motivating factors, we found one reason why people balk at giving to charity: They feel like they can’t afford it.