Crowdfunding public goods: An experiment

Erik Ansink, Mark Koetse, Jetske Bouma, Dominic Hauck and Daan van Soest
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Mark Koetse: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

No 17-119/VIII, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers from Tinbergen Institute

Abstract: We assess the impact of different crowdfunding designs on the success of crowdfunded public goods using a lab-in-the-field experiment. Our design treatments aim to increase the efficiency of crowdfunding campaigns by raising aggregate contributions and decreasing possible coordination problems that may occur when potential donors are faced with a multitude of projects seeking contributions. Amongst others, we explore the potential of seed money and the impact of the attraction effect. Using a four-day time window we implement our crowdfunding experiment using a web-based user interface with multiple threshold public goods, similar in style to conventional crowdfunding websites. We find that such alternative crowdfunding designs affect efficiency via improving coordination, and not so much via affecting total contributions. These results are confirmed in a follow-up framed field experiment with actual nature conservation projects.

Keywords: Crowdfunding; lab-in-the-field experiment; threshold public goods; charitable giving; nature conservation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 H41 L31 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-12-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-ent, nep-eur, nep-exp, nep-ppm and nep-res
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tin:wpaper:20170119

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