Does price matter in charitable giving? Evidence from a large-scale natural field experiment

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Karlan, Dean; List, John A.
• 署名单位: Yale University; University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.97.5.1774
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 1774-1793
• 关键词: public-goods; impure altruism; income-tax; constraints; preferences; valuation; Donations

摘要

We conducted a natural field experiment to further our understanding of the economics of charity. Using direct mail solicitations to over 50,000 prior donors of a nonprofit organization, we tested the effectiveness of a matching grant on charitable giving. We find that the match offer increases both the revenue per solicitation and the response rate. Larger match ratios (i.e., $3:$1 and $2:$1) relative to a smaller match ratio ($1:$1) had no additional impact, however. The results provide avenues forfuture empirical and theoretical work on charitable giving, cost-benefit analysis, and the private provision of public goods.