A Glimpse into the world of high capacity givers: Experimental evidence from a university capital campaign

Tova Levin, Steven D. Levitt and John List

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2023, vol. 212, issue C, 644-658

Abstract: The fractal nature of giving to charitable causes in the U.S. suggests that the literature that focuses on modal donors potentially misses a key piece of the puzzle to understanding overall giving patterns. Using a natural field experiment with more than 5500 high-capacity donors, we make a small step in this direction by reporting suggestive evidence across several features of our data. For example, we find that “warm-list” donors are more likely to donate, that gift matching increases donations, and that the price of giving is directionally in line with the Law of Demand. Unlike typical small donors, donors on the warm list respond while those on the cold list do not, and often with a longer time lag, a phenomenon that could be explained through social norming.

Keywords: Experiment; Charitable; Giving; Donors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Related works:
Working Paper: A Glimpse into the World of High Capacity Givers: Experimental Evidence from a University Capital Campaign (2016)
Working Paper: A Glimpse into the World of High Capacity Givers: Experimental Evidence from a University Capital Campaign (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:212:y:2023:i:c:p:644-658

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2023.05.035

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