Hey Look at Me: The Effect of Giving Circles on Giving

19 Pages Posted: 26 Feb 2012

See all articles by Dean S. Karlan

Dean S. Karlan

Yale University; Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management; Innovations for Poverty Action; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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Date Written: December 19, 2011

Abstract

Theories abound for why individuals give to charity. We conduct a field experiment with donors to a Yale University service club to test the impact of a promise of public recognition on giving. Some may claim that they respond to an offer of public recognition not to improve their social standing, but rather to motivate others to give. To tease apart these two theories, we conduct a laboratory experiment with undergraduates, and found no evidence to support the alternative, altruistic motivation. We conclude that charitable gifts increase in response to the promise of public recognition primarily because of individuals' desire to improve their social image.

Keywords: prosocial behavior, experiments, voluntary contributions, social image

JEL Classification: D64, C90, L30

Suggested Citation

Karlan, Dean S. and Karlan, Dean S., Hey Look at Me: The Effect of Giving Circles on Giving (December 19, 2011). Yale Economics Department Working Paper No. 96, Yale University Economic Growth Center Discussion Paper No. 1006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2009454 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2009454

Dean S. Karlan (Contact Author)

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) ( email )

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