To Donate or Not To Donate...That Is The Question...

In response to Jenny Beers's question, "Who is more inclined to donate money, people who have a lot of it or people who have just enough to get by?"...

     In my experience, it seems that those who give the most are those who do not have that much at all. It seems somewhat ironic that the "poor" would help the "poor" so to speak, but it makes perfect sense. Those who do not have much understand that it is very difficult to be in that position, and therefore are motivated to help to the best of their ability. It is kind of how a person is likely to give to a cancer research foundation if they have a family member who has had, or has, the disease. However, it appears that they are usually more apt to help causes in other ways that giving cash directly. Many people who start and run organizations volunteer their time to help raise money through certain events, or help to plan fundraising strategies. Those who can barely get by might offer to cook a meal or provide shelter to someone who needs it desperately. Thus, the more that I think about it, the more that I realize that those who barely have enough are not so likely to give money, but rather donate their time, love, and services.
     So, it seems that those who have a great deal of money are the ones who donate it, though the phrase "a lot of money" can mean many things. It can mean the middle class disposable income, or the funds of the rich. From my observations I have found that it is truly the middle class that donates money the most. This is probably because they are close enough to the working class to understand hardships with money, but close enough to the upper class as well to understand the concept of disposable income. In class, someone mentioned that the rich are very unlikely to give money because of their stinginess. But, I learned something different in my Introduction to Sociology course last semester. The rich are very likely to give large amounts to charities because it is built into the societal expectations of what the rich should do. They are expected to make connections and build business ties through private clubs, donate to charity, and go to prestigious schools. This is why huge charity benefits are often thrown by extremely rich families - they have the money to do so, and the community they reside in expects that of them. So, are you more likely to donate to a cause if you have been through such a situation yourself? Why does it always seem that though you may help others while they are in need, when the time comes for you to get help, no one will give it to you? Are you more likely to be more "charitable" after such a thing happens?