CARE – Center for Altruism Research and Education

Center for Altruism Research & Education

Healing lives through the power of giving.

We create opportunities for people facing grief, recovery, reentry, and isolation to find healing, purpose, and connection — by helping others.

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The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

— Mahatma Gandhi

120+
Countries where giving increases happiness
501(c)3
IRS Recognized Nonprofit
100%
Of donations directed to programs
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Ripple effect of every act of kindness

Who We Are

Transforming lives through altruism

CARE exists to help people feel better through acts of kindness and service. We believe that one of the most powerful forces for personal healing is the act of giving — and we’ve seen this truth transform lives across our community.

We especially serve those navigating grief, addiction recovery, reentry after incarceration, and social isolation — people who often feel forgotten, yet who carry immense capacity to contribute and connect when given the opportunity.

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Compassion First
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Healing Through Purpose
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Community Connection
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Dignity & Empowerment
Our Mission

The Center for Altruism Research and Education (CARE) exists to help people feel better through acts of kindness and service. We create opportunities for individuals, especially those facing hardship, isolation, grief, or the aftermath of addiction, to find healing, purpose, and connection by contributing to the wellbeing of others.

We support people in discovering the empowering impact of altruism in their own lives and in their communities.

Real Impact

Stories of CARE in action

These are not statistics. These are neighbors in our community — real people whose lives have changed because someone chose to give.

Healthcare Crisis

CARE Responds to a Medical Emergency

Breathing Easy Again

When tariffs caused one woman’s essential breathing medication to triple in cost overnight, she faced an impossible choice between affording rent and groceries or the medication that kept her lungs clear. She had done everything right — but sudden economic forces pushed her to the edge.

CARE stepped in, immediately covering the cost of her medication while she worked with advocates to secure insurance that would provide long-term coverage. Because we CARE she could breathe easier.

“Dear CARE team, Thank you so much for helping cover the cost of my medication. Your kindness and assistance mean more than words can express. I’m truly grateful for the work you do and the hope you bring to others.”
Reentry & Recovery

A Vehicle for a New Beginning

Driving in a New Direction

After his release from incarceration due to addiction, this father threw himself into recovery, staying clean and sober — motivated by his young daughter and a dream of one day owning his own business. He had lost too many people he loved to addiction and refused to be one more statistic.

CARE connected him with a donated vehicle from a widow whose husband died from an overdose. She gave the car so someone truly embracing sobriety could use it to build a new life — and in doing so, found her own healing. Giving became part of her process to turn her grief into gratitude.

“I held onto my husband’s car for a few years, unwilling to part with it, until I saw an opportunity to give it to someone that was embracing recovery from addiction. I knew that this would have made my husband happy — knowing that his car was used to help another father on the road of recovery. It made me feel good to give this gift of hope to someone.”
The Ripple Effect

Kindness Multiplies

One Gift, Many Lives Changed

The man who received the donated car carried the empowering gift of kindness forward, using his handyman skills to help a woman in her late 70s that lost two sons to addiction. Living alone, she really needed help — and he was one of the many CARE volunteers that has helped her with household repairs. From hanging blinds, changing lightbulbs, to helping lift gardening supplies – CARE was there to give the gift of kindness.

A grieving wife found healing through giving, and her kindness helped a father get back on his feet and move in a new direction. In turn, he was able to give back — supporting a mother who had lost her sons and needed connection and help. This is what CARE calls the Kindness Multiplier: one act of giving creates ripples that continue far beyond what we can measure, but not beyond what we can feel.

“Altruism doesn’t end at the recipient. It spreads through every life it touches.”

Current Campaign

When Life Gets Heavy, Community Lifts

Help A Dad Recovering From Brain Surgery

When Life Gets Heavy - Help a Dad Recovering from Brain Surgery

CARE has been given the opportunity to support a family in our community that could really use help right now. A local dad is healing from brain surgery to remove cancer and is currently unable to work or care for his family.

His partner — a small business owner and mother — is now carrying the full weight: running their dog grooming business, caring for the kids, and getting him to ongoing appointments. The entire household is facing a significant loss of income during this time.

“Pay it forward or pay it back — giving when you can truly makes a difference, and it feels good too.”

Your gift helps cover essentials like bills, groceries, and transportation to follow-up care. We’re asking our community to step in and help lighten the load.

CARE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donors receive a receipt for tax deduction purposes.

Every dollar goes directly to supporting this family through one of the hardest seasons of their lives.
This is altruism in action — neighbor helping neighbor.

Give Now — Help This Family →

Secure donation processed by Zeffy  |  100% goes to the family  |  Tax deductible receipt provided

The Kindness Meter

Measure the joy of giving

Research shows that when you give, you feel better. Our Kindness Meter helps you explore how acts of generosity affect your own wellbeing — backed by real science.

Studies from Harvard, the World Happiness Report, and neuroscience research all confirm the same truth: giving activates the brain’s reward centers the same way food and connection do. The warm glow of generosity is real, measurable, and lasting.

Slide each scale to reflect your recent giving activity. See your personalized Kindness Impact Score and what the science says about how it’s affecting your happiness.

Acts of kindness this week 3
Charitable giving this month 2
Hours volunteered recently 1
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Your Kindness Impact Score

You’re giving regularly — research shows your brain is experiencing measurable happiness boosts from each of these acts.

Why Giving Feels Good

The science of altruism & happiness

It’s not a coincidence that giving feels good. Decades of research across neuroscience, psychology, and economics have mapped exactly why generosity transforms the giver.

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Out of 136 countries studied, 120 showed that spending money on others increased happiness — suggesting the “warm glow” of giving is a universal human experience, not a cultural artifact.

— World Happiness Report / Dunn et al., Harvard

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In a landmark experiment, participants given money to spend on themselves or others were significantly happier when they gave it away — and they predicted the opposite before the study. We systematically underestimate the joy of giving.

— Dunn, Aknin & Norton (2008), Harvard Business School

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Neuroimaging studies show charitable giving activates the same reward centers in the brain as food and social connection — the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex light up when we give, registering genuine pleasure.

— Nature Communications / PMC Neuroscience Research

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For older adults, giving support to others correlates with better health outcomes and increased life expectancy. Some research even suggests generous giving can lower blood pressure as effectively as medication or exercise.

— Time Magazine / Johns Hopkins & Public Health Research

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Altruism is innate, not learned. Toddlers as young as 18 months show greater happiness when giving away their own treats than when receiving them — the impulse toward generosity is part of our deepest human wiring.

— University of British Columbia Developmental Lab

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People facing recovery and reentry experience the greatest wellbeing benefits from prosocial behavior. Volunteering and giving reduce depression among at-risk youth volunteers and create meaningful identity shifts in formerly incarcerated individuals.

— World Happiness Report 2025 / U.S. National Longitudinal Study

“Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference — especially in your own life.”

This is why CARE doesn’t just help recipients — we create opportunities for givers to experience transformation too. When you donate to CARE, you become part of the healing.

Start Giving Today
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Volunteer With Us

Whether you have an hour or a weekend, your time creates real change. Help with events, outreach, skill-sharing, or simply being present for someone who needs connection. Research shows volunteers experience lower depression and greater life satisfaction.

Get in Touch →
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Donate Resources

Have a vehicle, professional services, goods, or a skill to offer? Donated resources have changed lives at CARE — like the car that gave a recovering father a path forward and helped a widow process her grief. Your possessions can carry profound meaning.

Donate Resources →
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Partner & Fund Us

CARE is a 501(c)3 organization actively seeking grant partnerships and corporate sponsors. We bring documented outcomes, compelling human stories, and a research-backed model that addresses grief, recovery, reentry, and isolation — issues at the heart of community health.

Explore Partnership →