What gets people to give?

It’s a question charities have been grappling with for as long as there have been, well, charities. But researchers in recent years have begun digging deeper into the question, using controlled experiments and psychological testing to better understand why people feel compelled to donate to a good cause—or give it a pass.

Some of their findings turn the conventional wisdom at charities on their head. Lots of charities lean on heart-rending stories to inspire people to give, for instance. But recent research has found that something much less emotional can be just as effective in winning people over—trumpeting the fact that the charity got a gift from a big-name donor. Research has also found that the promise of public recognition works for even the smallest donors, not just people who get their names on buildings.

ENLARGE

CJ BURTON

Some say tests like these are urgently needed, since donations have been relatively flat for decades. That fact “is an indictment of our dearth of knowledge about this sector,” says John List,principal investigator at the Science of Philanthropy Initiative at the University of Chicago. “We will grow the social pie of giving” as researchers delve into why people donate.

Here’s a look at some of the latest research on what pushes people to open their wallets for charity and what spurs them to give even more.