The Lawrence Jewish Family Center in La Jolla bears the name of late hotelier M. Larry Lawrence. Fund-raisers also say donors are becoming more sophisticated and more organized. A group called the San Diego Grant Makers Association meets quarterly to swap information about potential projects. There are 90 San Diego members of United Way s Alexis de Tocqueville Society, named after the 19th-century French historian who wrote about volunteerism. Attempting to figure out why people give is complicated, but it s vital to the understanding of fund-raising.
People give out of love.
They give to leave a legacy. The charitable institutions are well aware they offer an opportunity to give something back to the community. What is exchanged is a feeling, says David Gillig, senior vice president and executive director of the Children s Hospital Foundation. People make a gift in exchange for a feeling. But companies often want more.