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- All HBS Web (125)
- Faculty Publications (53)
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- All HBS Web (125)
- Faculty Publications (53)
- 06 Oct 2015
- First Look
October 6, 2015
Giving: The Role of Risk By: Exley, Christine L. Abstract—Decisions involving charitable giving often occur under the shadow of risk. A common finding is that potential donors give less when there is greater risk that their View Details
Keywords: Sean Silverthorne
- 19 Dec 2023
- Research & Ideas
$15 Billion in Five Years: What Data Tells Us About MacKenzie Scott’s Philanthropy
finished giving, but with more than $15 billion granted to nearly 2,000 organizations, some meaningful patterns have begun to emerge. We parsed all the Yield Giving donation information available to date and matched it with Internal... View Details
- Article
Avoiding Overhead Aversion in Charity
By: Uri Gneezy, Elizabeth A. Keenan and Ayelet Gneezy
Donors tend to avoid charities that dedicate a high percentage of expenses to administrative and fundraising costs, limiting the ability of nonprofits to be effective. We propose a solution to this problem: Use donations from major philanthropists to cover overhead... View Details
Gneezy, Uri, Elizabeth A. Keenan, and Ayelet Gneezy. "Avoiding Overhead Aversion in Charity." Science 346, no. 6209 (October 31, 2014): 632–635.
- 19 Dec 2022
- Research & Ideas
What Motivates People to Give Generously—and Why We Sometimes Don't
act makes it seem like a worse version of a charitable act. So, the difference in framing can affect both whether people want to engage in that behavior in the first place and how much they give as a result. Exley: Another way to increase... View Details
- 08 Jul 2009
- Working Paper Summaries
Truth in Giving: Experimental Evidence on the Welfare Effects of Informed Giving to the Poor
Keywords: by Christina Fong & Felix Oberholzer-Gee
- November 2015
- Article
When Doing Good Is Bad in Gift-giving: Mis-predicting Appreciation of Socially Responsible Gifts
By: Lisa A. Cavanaugh, F. Gino and Gavan J. Fitzsimons
Gifts that support a worthy cause (i.e., "gifts that give twice"), such as a charitable donation in the recipient's name, have become increasingly popular. Recipients generally enjoy these gifts, which not only benefit others in need but also make recipients feel good... View Details
Cavanaugh, Lisa A., F. Gino, and Gavan J. Fitzsimons. "When Doing Good Is Bad in Gift-giving: Mis-predicting Appreciation of Socially Responsible Gifts." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 131 (November 2015): 178–189.
- March 2021
- Article
Opting-in to Prosocial Incentives
By: Daniel Schwartz, Elizabeth A. Keenan, Alex Imas and Ayelet Gneezy
The design of effective incentive schemes that are both successful in motivating employees and keeping down costs is of critical importance. Research has demonstrated that prosocial incentives, where individuals’ effort benefits a charitable organization, can sometimes... View Details
Keywords: Incentives; Prosocial Behavior; Behavioral Economics; Field Experiments; Recycling; Prosocial Motivation; Decision Making; Motivation and Incentives; Behavior
Schwartz, Daniel, Elizabeth A. Keenan, Alex Imas, and Ayelet Gneezy. "Opting-in to Prosocial Incentives." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 163 (March 2021): 132–141.
- July 2024 (Revised January 2025)
- Case
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Bringing Systematic Investment to Philanthropy
By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao, Alexander Bischoff and Sophia Pan
Melissa Berman, CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), evaluated her client’s philanthropy project and its mediocre performance. RPA was a segment of the Rockefeller Family Office’s Philanthropy Department, becoming an independent charity in 2002. Consistently... View Details
Keywords: Philanthropy; Philanthropic Sector; Performance Evaluations; Social Network; Collaboration; Foundation; Due Diligence; Humanitarianism; Humanitarian Assistance; Grants; Expertise; HNW Products And Services; Donations; Impact; Advisor; Advice; Consulting; Funding; Consulting Services; Family Business; Cost vs Benefits; Developing Countries and Economies; Private Sector; Spending; Mission and Purpose; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Performance Evaluation; Nonprofit Organizations; Reputation; Social and Collaborative Networks; Social Issues; Wealth and Poverty; Consulting Industry; New York (city, NY); New York (state, US); United States
Cohen, Lauren, Hao Gao, Alexander Bischoff, and Sophia Pan. "Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Bringing Systematic Investment to Philanthropy." Harvard Business School Case 225-005, July 2024. (Revised January 2025.)
- January 2013
- Supplement
The Great East Japan Earthquake (E): Yamato Transport's Response
By: Hirotaka Takeuchi, Leonard Kosinski, Christina Royce, Anna Stetsovskaya and Evgeny Vasilyev
CEO Kikawa of Yamato Transport gave orders to his managers right after the triple disaster hit the Tohoku region of Japan to do whatever it takes to save lives and not to worry about costs. He also felt that he had to confront the government to make donations to the... View Details
Keywords: Japan; Earthquake; Yamato Transport Company; Natural Disasters; Business and Shareholder Relations; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Transportation Industry; Japan
Takeuchi, Hirotaka, Leonard Kosinski, Christina Royce, Anna Stetsovskaya, and Evgeny Vasilyev. "The Great East Japan Earthquake (E): Yamato Transport's Response." Harvard Business School Supplement 713-442, January 2013.
- July 2023
- Article
Before or After? The Effects of Payment Decision Timing in Pay-What-You-Want Contexts
By: Raghabendra P. KC, Vincent Mak and Elie Ofek
We study how payment decision timing—before versus after product delivery—influences consumer payment under pay-what-you-want pricing. We focus on situations where there is minimal change in consumer uncertainty regarding the product before versus after receiving it.... View Details
KC, Raghabendra P., Vincent Mak, and Elie Ofek. "Before or After? The Effects of Payment Decision Timing in Pay-What-You-Want Contexts." Journal of Marketing 87, no. 4 (July 2023): 618–635.
- December 2017
- Case
Charity or Bribery?
By: Eugene Soltes and Brian Tilley
Filip Kowalski, a senior manager at the pharmaceutical company Healthgen, leads sales for the firm’s Polish division. While pitching Healthgen’s products, he develops a relationship with a director of a regional health fund who also runs a private foundation. After a... View Details
Keywords: Bribery; Crime and Corruption; Law; Ethics; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; United States; Europe
Soltes, Eugene, and Brian Tilley. "Charity or Bribery?" Harvard Business School Case 118-052, December 2017.
- March 2018
- Case
GoFundMe: The Giving Layer of the Internet
By: Scott Duke Kominers and Allison M. Ciechanover
By 2017, GoFundMe is the world’s largest social fundraising platform. Gross donation volume is growing rapidly, yet the number of monthly campaign starts is relatively flat. The CEO contemplates a variety of growth initiatives. View Details
Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Expansion; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Technology Industry
Kominers, Scott Duke, and Allison M. Ciechanover. "GoFundMe: The Giving Layer of the Internet." Harvard Business School Case 818-108, March 2018.
- January 10, 2022
- Article
The Link Between Income, Income Inequality, and Prosocial Behavior Around the World: A Multiverse Approach
By: Lucia Macchia and Ashley V. Whillans
The questions of whether high-income individuals are more prosocial than low-income individuals and whether income inequality moderates this effect have received extensive attention. We shed new light on this topic by analyzing a large-scale dataset with a... View Details
Keywords: Prosocial Behavior; Income Inequality; Behavior; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Income
Macchia, Lucia, and Ashley V. Whillans. "The Link Between Income, Income Inequality, and Prosocial Behavior Around the World: A Multiverse Approach." Social Psychology (January 10, 2022): 375–386.
- January 2001
- Case
Merck Global Health Initiatives (A)
By: James E. Austin, Diana Barrett and James Weber
The case series focuses on Merck's drug donation program and then raises new issues facing management about what to do about HIV/AIDS in Africa given the company's development of a new therapy. Describes collaboration among many parties including the Gates Foundation,... View Details
Keywords: Programs; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Health Disorders; Health Care and Treatment; Private Sector; Public Sector; Alliances; Problems and Challenges; Pharmaceutical Industry; Botswana
Austin, James E., Diana Barrett, and James Weber. "Merck Global Health Initiatives (A)." Harvard Business School Case 301-088, January 2001.
- July 2008 (Revised February 2009)
- Case
(PRODUCT) RED (A)
By: Youngme E. Moon, Michael I. Norton and David Chen
Describes the launch and initial results of the (PRODUCT) RED campaign, a social marketing initiative conceived by U2's Bono and Bobby Shriver to combat AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The company licensed the (RED) brand to partner companies, which initially included Gap,... View Details
Keywords: Investment Funds; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Social Marketing; Social Enterprise; Africa
Moon, Youngme E., Michael I. Norton, and David Chen. "(PRODUCT) RED (A)." Harvard Business School Case 509-013, July 2008. (Revised February 2009.)
- Spring 2014
- Article
The Market for Blood
By: Robert Slonim, Carmen Wang and Ellen Garbarino
Donating blood, "the gift of life," is among the noblest activities and it is performed worldwide nearly 100 million times annually. The economic perspective presented here shows how the gift of life, albeit noble and often motivated by altruism, is heavily influenced... View Details
Keywords: Altruism; Philanthropy; Analysis Of Health Care Markets; Market Design; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Health
Slonim, Robert, Carmen Wang, and Ellen Garbarino. "The Market for Blood." Journal of Economic Perspectives 28, no. 2 (Spring 2014): 177–196.
- April 2021
- Case
The Incentive for Legacy: Tsinghua University Education Foundation
By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao and Spencer C.N. Hagist
Vivian Yuan seeks to bolster the Tsinghua University Education Foundation's fundraising efforts and investment goals in a new era of Chinese higher education. Competing with elite members of China's C9 League of top universities, she must develop a set of incentives... View Details
Keywords: Finance; Marketing; Strategy; Negotiation; Organizations; Markets; Higher Education; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Motivation and Incentives; China
Cohen, Lauren, Hao Gao, and Spencer C.N. Hagist. "The Incentive for Legacy: Tsinghua University Education Foundation." Harvard Business School Case 221-100, April 2021.
- January 2013
- Case
Omidyar Network: Pioneering Impact Investment
By: Michael Chu and Lauren Barley
Omidyar Network, having deployed to date over $500 million in ways ranging from donations to commercial equity capital, must decide whether to back Anudip, an Indian organization dedicated to providing the rural unemployed and marginalized with livelihoods linked to... View Details
Keywords: Social Enterprise; Social Entrepreneurship; Investment; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; India
Chu, Michael, and Lauren Barley. "Omidyar Network: Pioneering Impact Investment." Harvard Business School Case 313-090, January 2013.
- 2022
- Working Paper
Beliefs About Giving Across Contexts
By: Christine L. Exley, John-Henry Pezzuto and Marta Serra-Garcia
A rich literature investigates prosocial behavior by exploiting a variety of methods, the validity of which has been debated. While this literature has compared behavior inside and outside of the laboratory, an open question is how participants view prosocial behavior... View Details
Exley, Christine L., John-Henry Pezzuto, and Marta Serra-Garcia. "Beliefs About Giving Across Contexts." Working Paper, September 2022.
- 2014
- Working Paper
Don't Take 'No' for an Answer: An Experiment with Actual Organ Donor Registrations
By: Judd B. Kessler and Alvin E. Roth
Over 10,000 people in the U.S. die each year while waiting for an organ. Attempts to increase organ transplantation have focused on changing the registration question from an opt-in frame to an active choice frame. We analyze this change in California and show it... View Details
Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Health Care and Treatment; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Health Industry
Kessler, Judd B., and Alvin E. Roth. "Don't Take 'No' for an Answer: An Experiment with Actual Organ Donor Registrations." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 20378, August 2014.