Publications

15 Aug 2023
Research & Ideas

Why Giving to Others Makes Us Happy

helped others,” Whillans says. “We tend to see the greatest mood benefits when people are more actively engaged.” The takeaway for business leaders that create charitable giving programs? People might be... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

Article

Contingent Match Incentives Increase Donations

By: Lalin Anik, Michael I. Norton and Dan Ariely

We propose a new means by which non-profits 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... View Details

Keywords: Matching Donations; Social Proof; Prosocial Behavior; Charitable Giving; Plausibility; Motivation and Incentives; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving

Web

Planned Giving - Alumni

Giving Planned Giving Giving Planned Giving Leave a Legacy Through planned giving, you can use a variety of strategies and assets to support HBS... View Details

07 Feb 2018
News

Helping Startups Give Back

“If you really want your company to be associated with giving back and having a social mission,” says Janie Goldstein (MBA 1991), “it needs to be baked in from the start.” But while most startups want to be philanthropic, Goldstein, the... View Details

December 2003
Article

Profit Globally, Give Globally

By: John A. Quelch and V. Kasturi Rangan

Keywords: Profit; Global Range; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving

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

Keywords: Prosocial Behavior; Behavior; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Values and Beliefs

March 2022
Article

When Less Is More: Consumers Prefer Brands that Donate More in Relative versus Absolute Terms

By: Elizabeth A. Keenan, Anne V. Wilson and Leslie K. John

When trying to make a good impression on consumers through charitable giving, is it better for brands to maximize the overall dollars they donate or how much they give in relative terms; for example, the proportion of profits? Across five studies we show that consumers... View Details

Keywords: Cause-related Marketing; Charitable Donations; Generosity; Altruism; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Brands and Branding; Consumer Behavior

Web

Ways to Give Today - Alumni

Donor name, degree/year, and intended gift purpose (fund name) Stock Transfer When giving long-term appreciated stock to HBS, donors may take a charitable income tax deduction for its mean fair market value... View Details

09 Oct 2019
News

Building a Tradition of Giving

Barry Sternlicht (MBA 1986) Barry Sternlicht (MBA 1986) Over time and experience, Barry Sternlicht (MBA 1986) has developed an approach to philanthropy that bridges both his professional and personal lives, delivering impact to both. He first started focusing on View Details

October 2023 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Ӧzyeğin Social Investments: A Legacy of Giving

By: Christina R. Wing, Zeshan Gondal and Brittany L. Logan

This case explores the work of Özyeğin Social Investments, founded by Hüsnü Özyeğin, one of Turkey's most successful entrepreneurs. With a focus on education, health, gender equality, rural development, and disaster relief in Turkey, Özyeğin Social Investments and the... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Family Business; Business Model; Social Entrepreneurship; Social Enterprise; Turkey

Educators

Purchase

21 Nov 2014
News

Making It Easier for Retirees to Give to Charity

27 Mar 2017
News

How Companies Can Benefit More From Their Corporate Giving

April 12, 2024
Editorial

A New Paradigm for Family Giving

By: Christina R. Wing

Keywords: Family Business; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Wealth

March 2012 (Revised March 2012)
Teaching Note

Samasource: Give Work, Not Aid (TN)

By: Francesca Gino and Bradely R. Staats

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Jobs and Positions

Purchase

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

Educators

Purchase

June 2011
Article

Truth in Giving: Experimental Evidence on the Welfare Effects of Informed Giving to the Poor

By: Christina Fong and Felix Oberholzer-Gee

It is often difficult for donors to predict the value of charitable giving because they know little about the persons who receive their help. This concern is particularly acute when making contributions to organizations that serve heterogeneous populations. While we... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Policy; Information; Knowledge Acquisition; Game Theory; Prejudice and Bias; Poverty; Welfare

July – August 2008
Article

Help Employees Give Away Some of That Bonus

By: Michael I. Norton and Elizabeth W. Dunn

Employees who spend some or all of their bonuses on others-thereby creating what the authors call a "prosocial" workplace-are happier as a result. Managers can enhance that effect by providing opportunities to share the wealth. View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Compensation and Benefits; Employees; Behavior; Happiness