Preferences for International Redistribution

This paper examines the preferences for international redistribution using unique data from Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and the Generalized Social Surveys (GSS). The paper finds low rates of private giving to international aid organizations. In addition, most U.S. households support reducing foreign aid rather than increasing assistance to other countries. The authors investigate two main explanations: (1) households may prefer low levels of both private and public giving to international aid organizations and support for global public goods (2) Perceptions of high levels of government giving crowd out private contributions towards global public goods and international aid

Faculty Work as Philanthropy or Philanthropy as Faculty Work?

Employing Robert Payton’s (1988) definition of philanthropy, “Voluntary action for the public good” (p. 4), Faculty Work and the Public Good: Philanthropy, Engagement, and Academic Professionalism offers a fresh look at faculty work as philanthropy. The purpose of this review essay is to provide a brief review of some of the key propositions in this book and to explore how faculty work as philanthropy may be understood in non-U.S. cultural contexts. We start our exploration of faculty work as philanthropy in non-U.S. contexts by examining this construct in the U.S. as presented by Faculty Work and the Public Good and by laying out key forces that it sets forth as shaping faculty work as philanthropic practice: institutional structure and employment frameworks, resource constraints, and discretionary constraints

Ethnic Diversity and Charitable Giving

Recent studies suggest that greater community heterogeneity will lead to lower provision of local public goods and less support for governmental income distribution programs towards the needy (Luttmer 2001). Our study analyzes how private donations to charitable organizations that help the needy are affected by greater community heterogeneity. It is important to address this question since charitable organizations are often considered to provide services that are substitutes to provisions from the government. We find that greater ethnic heterogeneity decreases both the probability and the amount an individual contributes to a charitable organization using new data from Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID)

Women Give 2017

“What makes us happy?” This question has been posed for centuries, starting with the ancient Greek philosophers and persisting with today’s celebrities, researchers, and the media. Research has shown a link between life satisfaction and physical and emotional health, which spurs us to identify the things that make us happier and healthier. We sought to understand: Does the “joy of giving” lead to a happier life? Women Give 2017 is a step forward in understanding what makes us happy. It delves deeply into the connections between happiness and charitable giving

Gender Differences in #GivingTuesday Participation

Understanding the role gender plays in philanthropy empowers organizations to engage their donors most effectively and increase their giving. This is true throughout the year and particularly on #GivingTuesday, a day designated to maximize philanthropic giving. Since it began in 2012, #GivingTuesday has grown significantly in participation numbers and total dollars donated. #GivingTuesday, celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, provides a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations to incorporate nontraditional fundraising methods into their efforts and to engage with donors online. For nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, a successful #GivingTuesday requires understanding how and where donors tend to give