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Collective Philanthropy: Describing and Modeling the Ecology of Giving

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  • William L Gottesman
  • Andrew James Reagan
  • Peter Sheridan Dodds

Abstract

Reflective of income and wealth distributions, philanthropic gifting appears to follow an approximate power-law size distribution as measured by the size of gifts received by individual institutions. We explore the ecology of gifting by analysing data sets of individual gifts for a diverse group of institutions dedicated to education, medicine, art, public support, and religion. We find that the detailed forms of gift-size distributions differ across but are relatively constant within charity categories. We construct a model for how a donor's income affects their giving preferences in different charity categories, offering a mechanistic explanation for variations in institutional gift-size distributions. We discuss how knowledge of gift-sized distributions may be used to assess an institution's gift-giving profile, to help set fundraising goals, and to design an institution-specific giving pyramid.

Suggested Citation

  • William L Gottesman & Andrew James Reagan & Peter Sheridan Dodds, 2014. "Collective Philanthropy: Describing and Modeling the Ecology of Giving," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-12, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0098876
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098876
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clementi, F. & Gallegati, M., 2005. "Power law tails in the Italian personal income distribution," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 350(2), pages 427-438.
    2. Makoto Nirei & Wataru Souma, 2007. "A Two Factor Model Of Income Distribution Dynamics," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 53(3), pages 440-459, September.
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    1. Rozélia Laurett & Arminda Maria Finisterra Paço & Anabela Rosario Leitão Dinis, 2020. "Entrepreneurship in nonprofit organizations: a systematic review of the literature," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 17(2), pages 159-181, June.

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