Peer Effects in Charitable Giving

Evidence from the (Running) Field

Dados Bibliográficos

ID9705359
AutoresSarah Smith (0000-0003-0857-5039, University of Bristol), Frank Windmeijer (0000-0002-4232-2783, University of Bristol), Edmund Wright (University College London)
Ano2015
Volume125
Fascículo585
Páginas1053-1071
Data de publicação2015-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoThe Economic Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0013-0133 • E-ISSN: 1468-0297
EditoraOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/ecoj.12114
OpenAlexW2120892795
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas35
Referências citadas21

There is a widespread belief that peer effects are important in charitable giving but little evidence on how donors respond to their peers. Analysing a unique data set of donations to online fund‐raising pages, we find positive and sizeable peer effects: a £10 increase in the mean of past donations increases giving by £2.50, on average. Donations respond to both very large and very small amounts and to changes in the mode. We find little evidence that donations signal charity quality – our preferred explanation is that donors use information on earlier donations to decide what is appropriate for them to give

Economics · Peer effects · Public economics · Quality (philosophy · Set (abstract data type · Computer Science · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Social Psychology