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Feedback Information and Contributions to Not-for-Profit Enterprises: Experimental Investigations and Implications for Large-Scale Fund-Raising

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Jones

    (University of New Mexico)

  • Michael Mckee

    (University of Tennessee)

Abstract

Not-for-profit enterprises often rely on donors for operating funds. Through fund-raising campaigns, individual donations are solicited, and the successes of fund-raising campaigns depend on various features of the campaign. In this article, the authors use experimental methods to investigate the effects of different types of feedback information during fund-raising campaigns. The basic setting is a linear public good. The major finding is that the nature of information has an impact on individual (and total) contributions and that these effects are systematic. The “optimal†campaign includes information on the relative sizes of received contributions and also offers a suggested level of contributions.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Jones & Michael Mckee, 2004. "Feedback Information and Contributions to Not-for-Profit Enterprises: Experimental Investigations and Implications for Large-Scale Fund-Raising," Public Finance Review, , vol. 32(5), pages 512-527, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:pubfin:v:32:y:2004:i:5:p:512-527
    DOI: 10.1177/1091142104267064
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Claire van Teunenbroek & René Bekkers, 2020. "Follow the crowd: Social information and crowdfunding donations in a large field experiment," Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, Center for Experimental and Behavioral Public Administration, vol. 3(1).
    2. Sonntag, Axel & Zizzo, Daniel John, 2017. "Accountability one step removed," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168235, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. James Alm & Todd Cherry & Michael McKee & Michael L. Jones, 2010. "Investigating Behavioral Responses to Positive Inducements for Filing Tax Returns," Working Papers 10-11, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University.
    4. Dimitri Dubois & Stefano Farolfi & Phu Nguyen-Van & Juliette Rouchier, 2020. "Contrasting effects of information sharing on common-pool resource extraction behavior: Experimental findings," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-20, October.
    5. Meier Stephan, 2005. "Does Framing Matter for Conditional Cooperation? Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 5(2), pages 1-21, December.
    6. Nikiforakis, Nikos, 2010. "Feedback, punishment and cooperation in public good experiments," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 689-702, March.
    7. Stephan Meier, 2005. "Does framing matter for conditional cooperation? Evidence from a natural field experiment," Natural Field Experiments 00309, The Field Experiments Website.
    8. Sonntag, Axel & Zizzo, Daniel John, 2019. "Personal accountability and cooperation in teams," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 428-448.

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