Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/214967 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 7965
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
What is the value of pledges if they are often reneged upon? In this paper we show - both theoretically and experimentally - that pledges can be used to screen donors and to better understand their motives for giving. In return, nonprofit managers can use the information they glean from pledges to better target future charitable giving appeals and interventions to donors, such as expressions of gratitude. In an experiment, we find that offering the option to pledge gifts induces self-selection. If expressions of gratitude are then targeted to individuals who select into pledges, reneging can be significantly reduced. Our findings provide an explanation for the potential usefulness of pledges.
Subjects: 
prosocial behavior
charitable giving
pledging
intertemporal choice
JEL: 
D64
D90
C91
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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