Suggested donation or social information? Evidence from a field experiment
Published online on July 05, 2026
Abstract
["Economic Inquiry, Volume 64, Issue 3, Page 1097-1115, July 2026. ", "\nAbstract\nWhich 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.\n"]