Contingent match incentives increase donations
Journal Article (Journal Article)
The authors propose a new means by which nonprofits can induce donors to give today and commit to giving in the future: contingent match incentives, in which matching is made contingent on the percentage of others who give (e.g., "if X% of others give, we will match all donations"). A field experiment shows that a 75% contingent match (such that matches "kick in" only if 75% of others donate) is most effective in increasing commitment to recurring donations. An online experiment reveals that the 75% contingent match drives commitment to recurring donations because it simultaneously provides social proof while offering a low enough target to remain plausible that the match will occur. A final online experiment demonstrates that the effectiveness of the 75% contingent match extends to one-time donations. The authors discuss the practical and theoretical implications of contingent matches for managers and academics.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Anik, L; Norton, MI; Ariely, D
Published Date
- December 1, 2014
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 51 / 6
Start / End Page
- 790 - 801
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1547-7193
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0022-2437
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1509/jmr.13.0432
Citation Source
- Scopus