Fundraising Goals and Charitable Giving

Christoph Oslislo and Frederik Schwerter

No 12637, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: We study fundraising goals in two preregistered natural field experiments with regular donors of a large international charity (N = 109,945 and N = 47,864). Fundraising goals increase giving by 26%, comparable to the effect of lead donor information (17%). Combining both instruments increases giving by 42%, with effects close to additive. Variation in goal specifications, including progress levels from 9% to 91%, does not significantly affect total donations, consistent with goals operating as informational signals rather than through goal proximity. Failure to reach announced goals reduces subsequent giving by 28%.

Keywords: fundraising campaigns; lead donors; field experiment; information provision; goal progress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D64 D83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12637

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