The Science of Giving

When it comes to the gift of giving, you don’t need to make a grand gesture this holiday season. In fact, small acts of kindness are just as powerful, if not more so, than elaborate gifts or over-the-top deeds, say the experts.

“Giving back can really lift your spirits,” said Dr. Daniel Clark, a practitioner at Park West Psychology. “It helps create a sense of purpose and connection to others, which naturally boosts mental health. Whether it’s volunteering, donating, or helping someone in need, acts of generosity tend to make us feel good.”

Jessica Muñoz, LMHC, a licensed therapist with the Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling, agreed. “Small acts of kindness can be just as impactful as larger gestures in terms of well-being. These acts activate brain regions associated with reward and social connection, which boost happiness and reduce stress.”

As the holiday season nears, we asked Clark and Muñoz to share their insights and advice on the science of giving.

NM: How does the act of giving boost mental health and an overall sense of well-being?

JM: Let me give you the science behind this: Acts of giving trigger neural reward systems in the brain, such as the ventral striatum, which reduce stress and promote feelings of social connection. Research also suggests that strong social relationships — often fostered by giving — can increase survival rates by 50%, a statistic comparable to health interventions like quitting smoking or maintaining a healthy weight. Giving also reduces stress-related inflammation, which is critical for preventing chronic conditions like heart disease.

DC: Overall, it’s an amazing way to improve both emotional and physical well-being. It also strengthens relationships over time. It fosters trust, gratitude, and mutual respect, which helps deepen bonds with friends, family, and even colleagues. When you’re generous with your time, energy, or resources, it can lead to stronger connections and healthier, more supportive relationships in the long run.

NM: What is the “helper’s high”?

JM: The “helper’s high” is a phenomenon where people experience feelings of pleasure and happiness after helping others. This high occurs because giving activates reward-related areas of the brain, including the ventral striatum, which increases positive emotions and reduces stress. These neurobiological processes explain why giving can produce similar benefits to physical exercise or other rewarding activities.

NM: How long does the “helper’s high” last?

DC: The initial “helper’s high” might be brief, but the effects of giving can last much longer. If you make giving a regular habit, you’ll see sustained benefits — emotionally and mentally. Each act of generosity builds on the last, and over time, it can boost your self-esteem, improve your outlook, and help you feel more connected to the world around you.

NM: How does the science behind giving foster a greater sense of community?

JM: Generosity activates brain regions, like the ventral striatum and amygdala, which reinforce caregiving behavior and reduce stress. These neural pathways help people feel more socially connected and foster a greater sense of belonging within their communities. Research into longevity in Blue Zones, where people live longer than average, reveals that strong community bonds and regular social engagement contribute to both physical and mental well-being.

DC: Giving has a ripple effect — when one person gives, it often inspires others to do the same.
That shared sense of generosity brings people together and creates a feeling of belonging. On a biological level, acts of giving increase levels of oxytocin, a hormone that helps us feel more connected and trusting of others. Over time, this creates a tight-knit, supportive community.

NM: Will the act of giving alleviate some of the more difficult emotions that can arise during the holidays?

JM: During the holidays, feelings of stress or loneliness can be overwhelming, and acts of generosity can help manage these emotions
by fostering social connections. Giving, whether through time or small acts of kindness, can enhance feelings of purpose and reduce stress. I recommend focusing on meaningful, intentional acts of generosity that connect you with others, as these will have the most profound emotional and mental health benefits.

DC: The holidays can be emotionally tough
for many people, but focusing on small acts of generosity can really help. Giving, whether it’s a thoughtful gift or your time, shifts the focus away from negative emotions and toward connecting with others. It can bring a sense of purpose and joy, which helps ease holiday-related stress or loneliness.

NM: When we think of “giving,” we often think of money or time — which brings the greatest reward?

JM: Both giving time and money can provide significant rewards, but giving time often results in deeper emotional connections and personal fulfillment. When individuals give their time,
they are more likely to engage in meaningful social interactions, which enhance mental health and reduce stress. Research suggests that social connections formed through these interactions are linked to a 50% higher likelihood of survival. Ultimately, the emotional connection and meaning behind the act of giving are what determine its impact on well-being.

DC: Both are valuable, but giving your time often feels more rewarding. Time is personal and limited, so when we share it with others, it tends to create a deeper connection. Spending time helping others allows you to see the direct impact of your generosity, which can lead to greater feelings of satisfaction and purpose.

Small, meaningful ways to give the gift of time:

• Register with New York Cares Winter Wishes to become a wish granter and help make a child’s dreams come true. The result? Pure holiday magic! Learn more at newyorkcares.org/winter-wishes.
• There are a number of adopt-a-family programs throughout the city this holiday season. Consider organizing your family and friends to pool their resources and sign up to give a less fortunate family a memorable holiday. Two options to consider: Volunteers Of America at voa-gny.org, and the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program at saangeltree.org.
• Sign up to volunteer at a food bank. God’s Love We Deliver, for example, offers a number of ways to get involved over the holiday season. You can sign up for food prep shifts, to decorate holiday bags from home, or deliver meals with friends and family. Find out more at glwd.org.
• Drop off a gently used coat — or two! — to any one of the numerous collection points at local businesses around the neighborhood.

Non-profits to support this holiday season (and all year long):

While there are any number of good causes to get behind throughout the year, The Nomad Alliance is an important one to consider. In fact, donating to the Alliance in honor of friends and family is a thoughtful gift to consider this holiday season — especially for anyone on your list who is hard to shop for. The NoMad Alliance is committed to building an even better, sustainable community and growing local businesses. Your donation supports the Alliance’s Jazz On The Piazza series of free outdoor concerts, the experiencenomad.com guide for locals and visitors, and any number of neighborhood campaigns, promotions, and events, including Endless Summer. Find out more at thenomadalliance.com.

Other notable and worthy causes to consider…

• HEAVENLY HARVST FOUNDATION: Provides nutritious shelf-stable meals to programs that relieve hunger. heavenlyharvst.org
• CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS: Promotes the field of book arts through education, preservation, exhibitions, studio access, and community building. centerforbookarts.org
• HOUSING WORKS THRIFT SHOP: Organization working to end AIDS and homelessness in New York City through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses. housingworks.org
• MADISON SQUARE PARK CONSERVANCY: Help fund our park’s maintenance and operations, art commissions, horticultural initiatives, and free public programs. madisonsquarepark.org
• CHASHAMA: Supports the future of NYC’s cultural landscape and fosters connections within the creative community. chashama.org
• NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS: Donations support the enhancement of public understanding and perception of mathematics as an evolving, creative, and aesthetic human endeavor. momath.org
• CITY HARVEST: Rescues surplus food and distributes to those in need, alleviating hunger and reducing food waste. cityharvest.org
• TADA YOUTH THEATER: Provides opportunities to create and experience musical theater, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, nationality, and immigration status. tadatheater.com
• THE CITY KIDS FOUNDATION: Helps young people find and strengthen their individual and collective voices and become motivated agents of social change. citykids.com
• HEARTS OF GOLD: Partners with homeless mothers and their children to create positive, sustainable change in their lives. heartsofgold.org
• ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION: Funds more than 100 programs to prevent poverty and aid the poor in New York City — from food banks to youth groups. robinhood.org
• HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT: This Lower East Side group has been doing good work for more than a century and serves a largely Asian and Hispanic community. henrystreet.org
• BIDE-A-WEE HOME ASSOCIATION: A donation of $30 or more to this 100-year-old animal-advocacy group, will relocate a puppy or a kitten from an animal-control center to a “safe” shelter. bideawee.org
• HOPE FOR THEM FOUNDATION: Committed to enhancing quality of life while relieving emotional stress and the financial burden on the less fortunate. hopeforthem.org
• NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS: Donations help provide services and fellowships to more than 150 New York artists. nyfa.org
• THE HUNGER PROJECT: Facilitates individual and collective action to transform systems of inequity that create hunger and cause it to persist. thp.org
• MAYA’S HOPE: Works to improve the quality of life of orphaned, impoverished, and children with disabilities on a global scale. mayashope.org
• NEW ALTERNATIVES FOR CHILDREN: Provides highest standard of care for the most vulnerable children in New York City. nackidscan.org
• MAKE-A-WISH METRO NY: Donations give children with critical illnesses renewed strength to fight their illnesses, bringing families closer together and uniting entire communities. wish.org/newyork
• PENCILS OF PROMISE: Creates schools, programs, and global communities around the common goal of education for all. pencilsofpromise.org
• START SMALL THINK BIG: Dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion in entrepreneurship by connecting small businesses with the resources and community they need to thrive. startsmallthinkbig.org
• CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY: Provides comprehensive supports to children, youth, and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. childrensaidnyc.org
• TRICKLE UP: Partners with women to forge resilient pathways out of poverty. trickleup.org
• WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: Provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. wck.org
• GLOBAL KIDS: Educates, inspires and mobilizes youth to become good global citizens. globalkids.org
• GRACE COMMUNICATIONS FOUNDATION: Work to advance pragmatic and humane solutions to some of the world’s thorniest problems in the food, environmental and public health sectors. gracecommunicationsfoundation.org
• HARBORING HEARTS: Provides emergency housing, transportation, food, and emotional support to cardiac surgery and transplant patients and their families. harboringhearts.org
• NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION: Accelerates innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation kidney.org
• RAINFOREST ALLIANCE: An international non-profit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to make responsible business the new normal rainforest-alliance.org
• TACOMBI: Aims to advance Mexican Communities through food accessibility, education and employment. tacombi.com/tacombi-foundation