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Impure Impact Giving: Theory and Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel M. Hungerman
  • Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm

Abstract

We present a new model of charitable giving where individuals regard out-of-pocket donations and the matches they induce as different. We show that match-price elasticities combine conventional price effects with the strength of warm-glow, so that a match-price elasticity alone is insufficient to characterize preferences for giving. Match- and rebate-price elasticities will typically be different, but together they lead to tests of underlying giving preferences. We estimate, for the first time, a match-price elasticity together with a real-world tax-based rebate elasticity in a non-laboratory high-stakes setting. The estimates reject extant models of giving, but are consistent with the new theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel M. Hungerman & Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm, 2018. "Impure Impact Giving: Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 24940, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24940
    Note: PE
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    Cited by:

    1. Ottoni-Wilhelm, Mark & Vesterlund, Lise, 2023. "Motives to give in economics and psychology: A step toward unification," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 354-365.
    2. Castillo, Marco & Petrie, Ragan & Wardell, Clarence, 2023. "Barriers to charitable giving," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    3. Freundt, Jana & Lange, Andreas, 2021. "On the voluntary provision of public goods under risk," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    4. Adena, Maja, 2021. "How can we improve tax incentives for charitable giving? Lessons from field experiments in fundraising," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 344-353.
    5. Raphael Corbi & Fabio Miessi Sanches, 2022. "Church Competition, Religious Subsidies and the Rise of Evangelicalism: a Dynamic Structural Analysis," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2022_09, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    6. Castillo, Marco & Petrie, Ragan, 2020. "Optimal Incentives to Give," IZA Discussion Papers 13321, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Shusaku Sasaki & Hirofumi Kurokawa & Fumio Ohtake, 2022. "An experimental comparison of rebate and matching in charitable giving: The case of Japan," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 73(1), pages 147-177, January.
    8. Raphael Epperson & Johannes Diederich & Timo Goeschl, 2025. "How to Design the Ask? Funding Units vs. Giving Money," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 71(4), pages 2830-2846, April.
    9. Fosgaard, Toke R. & Soetevent, Adriaan R., 2022. "I will donate later! A field experiment on cell phone donations to charity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 549-565.
    10. Roman M. Sheremeta & Neslihan Uler, 2021. "The impact of taxes and wasteful government spending on giving," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 24(2), pages 355-386, June.
    11. KATO, Hiroki & KIM, Youngrok, 2024. "Charity Fraud : An Experimental Study of the Moral Hazard Problem in the Charity Market," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-139, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    12. Bertanha, Marinho & McCallum, Andrew H. & Seegert, Nathan, 2023. "Better bunching, nicer notching," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 237(2).
    13. Marius A. K. Ring & Thor Olav Thoresen, 2022. "Wealth Taxation and Charitable Giving," CESifo Working Paper Series 9700, CESifo.
    14. Ross Hickey & Brad Minaker & A. Abigail Payne & Joanne Roberts & Justin Smith, 2023. "The Effect of Tax Price on Donations: Evidence from Canada," National Tax Journal, University of Chicago Press, vol. 76(2), pages 291-315.
    15. Raphael Corbi & Fabio Miessi Sanches, 2024. "Church Tax Exemption and Structure of Religious Markets: a Dynamic Structural Analysis," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2024_31, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    16. Daniel Hungerman, 2023. "Tax evasion, efficiency, and bunching in the presence of enforcement notches," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(1), pages 43-68, February.
    17. Asatryan, Zareh & Joulfaian, David, 2022. "Taxes and Business Philanthropy in Armenia," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 914-930.
    18. Raphael Corbi & Fabio Miessi Sanches, 2024. "The Decline of Religiosity in America: Evidence from a Structural Model of Endogenous Church Differentiation," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2024_32, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    19. Raphael Corbi & Fabio Miessi Sanches, 2022. "What Drives Religiosity in America? Evidence from an Empirical Hotelling Model of Church Competition," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2022_08, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    20. Cagala, Tobias & Glogowsky, Ulrich & Grimm, Veronika & Rincke, Johannes & Tuset-Cueva, Amanda, 2019. "Rent extraction and prosocial behavior," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 709-723.
    21. Mollerstrom, Johanna & Strulov-Shlain, Avner & Taubinsky, Dmitry, 2024. "The impact of group size on giving versus demand for redistribution," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship

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