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Dynamic Charitable Giving

Author

Listed:
  • Andreas Grunewald
  • Christoph Oslislo
  • Frederik Schwerter
  • Zahra Sharafi

Abstract

This paper studies the dynamics of charitable giving. We model giving as the accumulation of virtue capital from past giving and test the model using panel data linking 7.6 million donations to 52 fundraising letters over six years. Giving is intertemporally consistent: past giving breeds future giving, past inaction breeds future inaction. This negative consistency quantitatively dominates: fundraising appeals cause negative intertemporal spillovers on subsequent appeals. However, negative consistency fades more quickly than positive consistency. These results contribute to our understanding of dynamic prosocial behavior and inform how fundraising campaigns should time and sequence communications.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Grunewald & Christoph Oslislo & Frederik Schwerter & Zahra Sharafi, 2026. "Dynamic Charitable Giving," CESifo Working Paper Series 12755, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12755
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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