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The Strategic Use of Corporate Philanthropy: Evidence from Bank Donations

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  • Seungho Choi
  • Raphael Jonghyeon
  • Simon Xu

Abstract

This article examines the strategic nature of banks’ charitable giving by studying bank donations to local nonprofit organizations. Relying on the application of antitrust rules in bank mergers as an exogenous shock to local deposit market competition, we find that local competition affects banks’ local donation decisions. Using county-level natural disaster shocks, we show that banks with disaster exposure reallocate donations away from nonshocked counties, where they operate branches, and toward shocked counties. The reallocation of donations represents an exogenous increase in the local share of donations in nonshocked counties for banks with no disaster exposure and leads to an increase in the local deposit market shares of such banks. Furthermore, banks can potentially earn greater profits from making donations and tend to donate to nonprofits that have the most social impact. Overall, our evidence suggests that banks participate in corporate philanthropy strategically to enhance performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Seungho Choi & Raphael Jonghyeon & Simon Xu, 2023. "The Strategic Use of Corporate Philanthropy: Evidence from Bank Donations," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(5), pages 1883-1930.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revfin:v:27:y:2023:i:5:p:1883-1930.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rof/rfad003
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate philanthropy; banking;

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers

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