The most important reason for pledging is that by doing so you help to change the culture of giving. Research has clearly shown that people are more likely to help others when they know that others are helping. Yet in many cultures, it is considered unseemly to tell others about how much you give. People may think you are boasting, or that you give only so that others will think well of you, and not because you are truly a generous person. This attitude is understandable, but nevertheless unfortunate, because it means that people don’t talk about giving, and those who are thinking of giving may be unaware of how many others give. This makes it less likely that they will give. People may assume, that others are selfish, when in fact they are just not talking about their giving. If large numbers of people pledge to give a modest percentage of their income to people in extreme poverty, that will show everyone that others do give. (Allowing us to list your name isn’t required, but it helps to make pledging more public.)

A second reason for pledging is that it increases the chances that you will stick to your pledge, and give what you have pledged to give. (Again, especially if you give your name.) A study of people who make New Year’s resolutions shows that those who tell others about their resolutions are more likely to keep them. We all suffer from moral weakness, and often fail to live up to our decisions to do what we know is right. A public pledge increases the penalty for failing, because it is a commitment, and failing to keep our commitments can mean with lose self-esteem, not only with our family and friends, but also with ourselves.