What prompted HSBC's Michael Geoghegan to pledge to donate his bonus to charity? Why is Standard Chartered's Peter Sands doing the same? Might this mark the beginning of an era in which the rich pass on their bumper earnings to good causes?



While wealthy bankers often count among major donors, the key question in this case is, would they have donated these huge sums (£4m for Geoghegan and £2m for Sands) had it… Continue

Collecting money for charity is a game played between fundraisers and donors, according to a recent paper by Stefano DellaVigna, John List and Ulrike Malmendier. Fundraisers apply social pressure to solicit money from those who would not normally give to charity, while donors can act strategically to avoid being asked for a donation in the first place.



The authors conducted an experiment in which door-to-door fundraisers collected… Continue

The recent earthquake in Haiti has prompted donations from many people in high-income countries. The media have been quick to publicise the humanitarian crisis and it features high on the political agenda.



The Queen of Pop has donated USD 250,000 publicly and encouraged her fans to help in any way they can while the Queen of England has donated an… Continue

Recent research by Kimberley Scharf and Sarah Smith suggests that UK donors will give more to charity if tax relief is framed as a government boost to their donations through Gift Aid than by offering them the equivalent tax rebate for themselves. Are donors being illuded or is the feel-good factor really stronger when charities are seen to receive more? Does clawing back money from the taxman lead to… Continue

This week sees the Muslim festival of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, during which livestock are sacrificed and the meat distributed to the poor. Those who do not own livestock themselves can make a contribution to a charity that will provide meat to the needy.



How do we value such in-kind acts of charity and can we compare them to giving money?



Here's an economic perspective on the subject:…

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