Research Catalog

Title

Five-year giving experience of individual donors by income level / by Gerald Auten and Gabriel Rudney.

Author

Auten, Gerald.

Publication

New Haven, Conn. : Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, 1989.

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Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

• Rudney, Gabriel.
• Yale University. Institution for Social and Policy Studies. Program on Non-Profit Organizations.

Description

20 unnumbered pages : illustrations; 28 cm.

Summary

Using 5-year panel data, this study examines the various dimensions of the variability of individual charitable contributions at all income levels: the variation in the generosity of individuals and the variability of the individuals' giving over a five-year period. The study finds considerable variability of both kinds. One consequence of the variability of generosity is that it is substantially greater at the higher income levels. Another consequence is that variability is substantially less pronounced by observing a 5-year period of an individual's generosity than by observing annual behavior. Another finding is that a relatively small proportion of donors account for a large proportion of total giving. The popular reputation of the wealthy for generosity is actually due to the execeptional generosity of a minority rather than widespread generosity among the wealthy. Results of the study have implications for research on charitable giving, for predicting the effects of tax policy changes on giving, and for fundraising. An earlier paper by the authors focused only on the variability of giving by the wealthy.

Series Statement

• PONPO working paper ; no. 140
• ISPS working paper ; no. 2140

Uniform Title

• PONPO working paper ; no. 140.
• ISPS working paper ; no. 2140.

Subject

• Charity organization > Statistics

Note

• "April 1989."

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

OCLC

ocm34993601

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries