The Charity of Questionable Motives

Freakonomics examines why people give: "It may be that the only kind of altruism that truly exists is what economists like to call 'impure altruism.'"

Of course, elsewhere in the world, people outsource their charity (Economist Blog), though in my experience, that doesn't make them unafraid of taking full credit along with the sanctimony that comes with it.