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Suggested donation or social information? Evidence from a field experiment

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Which fundraising strategy is more effective and how donation behavior changes with different monetary amounts are still open questions. This study compares the effectiveness of two fundraising strategies—suggested donation and social information—and examines how different monetary amounts affect donation behavior. We implemented a field experiment on voluntary donations among visitors to a national park. Both fundraising strategies affect donation behavior. However, the donation pattern differs significantly depending on the monetary amounts shown. Our findings provide important insights for designing fundraising campaigns and show how suggested donation and social information affect economic behavior.

Source: Economic Inquiry

DOI: 10.1111/ecin.70060

Authors: Francisco Alpízar, Peter Martinsson, Marcella Veronesi

Institutions: Wageningen University & Research, University of Turin, University of Gothenburg

Language: English

Topic: Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: United States Agency for International Development, Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete, Göteborgs Universitet

OpenAlex ID: W7151333966

FWCI:

Cites: 19

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