The sound of silent giving

Every year from this point forward, tens of thousands of American children send a letter to Santa Claus asking for a Christmas present – often not for themselves. And since 1912, local post offices have invited people – in selfless anonymity – to fulfill those wishes by donating a requested gift.

Known as Operation Santa, the program continues to expand. Four years ago, it hit the entire country. This year, the U.S. Postal Service teamed up with Toys R Us to allow these secret donors – “adopters” – to easily purchase gifts online.

This encouragement of generosity from strangers is similar to Toys for Tots, run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, or the Angel Tree program, run by the Salvation Army. They are indicators of how much people are willing to give without being identified. Call it kindness without praise or pure love.

Also in philanthropy with a lot of money, anonymous donations to a cause or a group of people have gained more strength. Special consultants, like the one called Silent Donor, now advise wealthy people on how to keep donations private. In many cases, anonymous lenders are simply humble enough not to seek credit and wise enough to allow beneficiaries not to become indebted to them. Often, a gift given under the radar encourages self-reliance.

In the digital age, however, more donors want privacy to avoid solicitations or harassment from those who oppose a specific cause receiving money. “The current climate of cultural division has turned the act of giving into a public and often politicized spectacle,” stated a 2022 report from the Philanthropy Roundtable. The Supreme Court had to rule against those who tried to trample on the freedoms of generous donors.

Many religions advocate anonymous donations. Maimonides, a 12th-century Jewish scholar, ranked it at the top of his eight-step scale of types of giving. Jesus advised followers to give to people in need and “not to announce it with trumpets.” The pride of giving is seen as evil giving.

Do anonymous donations inspire people to donate? A 2019 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied found this to be the case. Rates of “unobserved altruism” can often be higher than if the donation were publicly recognized. Donors may be confused as to why they anticipate or receive praise. The possibility of public recognition reduces donations by up to 20%.

The Postal Service’s Operation Santa Claus is keeping quiet about who donates Christmas gifts to children. All the better because it helps ensure that this donation comes from the heart. The “From” on the gift tag does not have a name. That is, altruistic.