Charities often circulate widespread donation appeals to garner support for campaigns, but what impact
do these campaigns have on the well-being of individuals who choose to donate, those who choose
not to donate, and the entire group exposed to the campaign? Here we investigate these questions by
exploring the changes in affect reported by individuals who donate in response to a charitable request
and those who do not. We also look at the change in affect reported by the entire sample to measure
the net impact of the donation request. Results reveal that large donors experience hedonic boosts
from their charitable actions, and the substantial fraction of large donors translates to a net positive
influence on the well-being of the entire sample. Thus, under certain conditions, donation opportunities
can enable people to help others while also increasing the overall well-being of the population of potential
donors.