It is commonly thought that giving to charity is a selfless act where one puts another's needs before his own, and maybe it was before but now it is a way to better one's self. Even if a student's grades are not altered due to participation in charitable events, it is unethical to allow students to believe that they are helping others more than they are helping themselves.

Without anonymity, charity is selfish. It of often rumored how much money politicians spend on charity, but their reward is greater than its cost. A couple thousand dollars to feed the homeless ultimately wins the politician publicity and popularity. It doesn't matter where the money actually goes; in the public's eyes, the man is a saint.

Politicians aren't the only guilty ones though. One of my sister's best friends spent twelve years as a girl scout not because she loved sewing patches on her vest but because she wanted to look good on college applications. And it wasn’t even her idea. Her mother wanted her to make the best impression on admissions counselors, even if it meant doing something she didn't want to do. If students’ parents don't show them how to be “charitable,” students will go through life thinking that they are special when really the work they do is what makes them seem special. The same applies to grade boost for charitable contributions, it a student ends the class with an A instead of the B he really deserved, he will think he preformed great in the class when really charity saved his grade.

Charity makes people feel like they are doing a good thing. Whether the donations made make the person feel good or make them look better, their money isn't doing much. Most charities are for-profit. They use parts of the proceeds to pay their employees, and pay for the events and advertising leaving only a small percentage of funds going directly toward the cause it was intended for. For example, Kroger has days every October when they sell car cleaner near the gas station in support of breast cancer research. After an elaborate demonstration and some convincing, I ended up buying the cleanser because I felt bad not supporting the cause. But once