Giving Boosts Happiness: Overcoming Biases to Give Well

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Organizations & Institutions

• GiveDirectly - A nonprofit that provides direct cash transfers to people in extreme poverty, which is the focus of the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• University of Pennsylvania Hospital System - Mentioned in a study regarding patient gratitude and donation timing.
• World Science Festival - A multimedia science education organization that hosts an annual event in New York City to make science accessible to the public, where Laurie Santos spoke on a "Cool Jobs" panel.

People Mentioned

• Dan Harris (Host of "10% Happier") - His podcast is participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• Jay Shetty (Host of "On Purpose") - His podcast is participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• John Green (Author and YouTube Star) - Collaborated with The Happiness Lab and GiveDirectly on a campaign to fight tuberculosis.
• Tim Harford (Host of "Cautionary Tales", Journalist, Economist) - Shared a personal story about receiving an unexpected act of kindness.
• J.R. Martinez (Host of "Medal of Honor", Army Veteran, TV Actor, Dancing with the Stars Champion) - Shared a personal story about receiving a life-changing gift.
• Michael Lewis (Best-selling Author of "Moneyball" and "The Blind Side", Host of "Against the Rules") - Shared his strategy of carrying ten-dollar bills to give to people in need.
• Dr. Maya Shankar (Host of "A Slight Change of Plans", Psychologist) - Shared a personal story from her childhood about an act of kindness from a peer and its lasting impact.
• Amanda Chuan (Professor at Michigan State) - Led research on the timing of donation requests to past hospital patients.
• Jud Kessler (Colleague of Katy Milkman) - Collaborated on research about the timing of donation requests.
• Hengchen Dai (UCLA) - Collaborated with Katy Milkman on research about the "fresh start effect."
• Katy Milkman (Professor at the Wharton School, Host of "Choiceology", Author of "How to Change") - A behavioral scientist who discusses why people procrastinate on giving and the importance of acting on charitable impulses.
• Avery Miller (Aerospace Engineer) - Shared her story of being inspired by Laurie Santos at the World Science Festival, which led her to pursue a career in aerospace engineering.
• Sally Ride - An astronaut, whose picture Avery Miller keeps alongside Laurie Santos's note.
• Rainn Wilson (Actor and Podcaster) - Will be a special guest on a future episode discussing holiday happiness.

Podcasts

• 10% Happier - Podcast hosted by Dan Harris, participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• On Purpose - Podcast hosted by Jay Shetty, participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• Revisionist History - Podcast participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• Hidden Brain - Podcast participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• How to Be a Better Human - Podcast participating in the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.
• Cautionary Tales - Podcast hosted by Tim Harford.
• Medal of Honor - Podcast hosted by J.R. Martinez.
• Against the Rules - Podcast hosted by Michael Lewis.
• A Slight Change of Plans - Podcast hosted by Dr. Maya Shankar.
• Choiceology - Podcast hosted by Katy Milkman.
• Earsay - New audiobook club podcast hosted by Cal Penn and Ed Helms.

Books

• "How to Change" by Katy Milkman - Discusses the science of behavior change.

Websites & Online Resources

• GiveDirectly.org/happinesslab - The donation page for the "Pods Fight Poverty" campaign.

Other Resources

• #PodsFightPoverty - The hashtag for the campaign to raise money to fight poverty.
• Moral Elevation - A concept in psychology where witnessing someone else's extraordinary actions (kindness, courage, etc.) can inspire positive feelings and personal change.