Research

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https://hdl.handle.net/1805/6307

We identify emerging trends, challenge conventional wisdom, and provide valuable insights into philanthropy with our cutting-edge research. Our in-house research staff and peer-reviewed faculty studies increase understanding of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.

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3 takeaways from Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott teaming up to fund women’s and girls’ causes
(The Conversation US, Inc., 2021-08-05) Skidmore, Tessa; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
4 new findings shed light on crowdfunding for charity
(The Conversation US, Inc., 2021-06-04) Ackerman, Jacqueline; Bergdoll, Jon; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Charitable Crowdfunding: Who Gives, to What, and Why?
(2021-03-31) Osili, Una; Bergdoll, Jon; Pactor, Andrea; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Houston, Peter
The growth of online giving signals a promising future for crowdfunding and offers donors another avenue for their generosity. This report provides details about how crowdfunding fits within the philanthropic landscape, who crowdfunding donors are, their motivations for using this giving vehicle, how they differ from typical charitable donors, the kinds of causes they support, and both donor and non-donor perceptions of this giving vehicle. Additionally, results from survey questions about charitable behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic and national reckoning on social and racial justice enhance the report.
Charitable Giving in Married Couples: Untangling the Effects of Education and Income on Spouses’ Giving
(Sage, 2022) Mesch, Debra J.; Osili, Una Okonkwo; Dale, Elizabeth J.; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Bergdoll, Jon; O’Connor, Heather A.; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
This research note looks beyond the unitary household model and analyzes the influence of household resources by gender on charitable giving. We investigate the intrahousehold variables of income and education and their effects on giving behaviors in married couples. We use data from the longitudinal Philanthropy Panel Study (2005–2017) to examine how spouses’ income and educational differences affect charitable giving behaviors and introduce fixed effects to control for unobserved heterogeneity. Initially, we find a positive relationship between both the husband’s and wife’s earned and unearned incomes and the likelihood and amount of giving by married couples. However, when fixed effects are used, we find women’s earned income to be significantly associated with all forms of giving, showing that women’s labor market earnings disproportionately influence giving behavior. Education is less of a factor in whether couples give and influences giving only when the husband has more education than the wife.
Do Women Give More? Findings from Three Unique Data Sets on Charitable Giving
(2015-09) Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Dale, Elizabeth
This study seeks to explore gender differences in the incidence and amount of charitable giving. We analyze data from three unique data sets: the Philanthropy Panel Study, the Bank of America/U.S. Trust Studies of High Net Worth Philanthropy, and the Million Dollar List to investigate the intra-household factors of income and education on charitable giving overall, and to religious and secular causes. We confirm prior studies finding that single women have a higher likelihood of giving and give a higher average dollar amount than single men, but find no gender differences among high net worth single men and women. Being married increases the likelihood and amount of charitable giving for both men and women. Within married couples, differences in the husbands’ or wives; earned and unearned income influences the likelihood and amount of giving along with where charitable giving is directed. This study uses new waves of data to examine previous, sometimes conflicting findings about gender differences in philanthropy in order to provide a more nuanced view of how women and men give.
Economic Effects on Million Dollar Giving
(2014-12) Osili, Una; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Li, Yannan
This study investigates the impact of economic factors on the number of charitable gifts of one million dollars or more within the United States using the Million Dollar List dataset. We investigate key donor groups: individuals, corporations, and foundations. Results indicate that individual donors are particularly responsive to underlying economic conditions; giving by foundations tends to be counter-cyclical, and corporate giving is not significantly associated with macroeconomic factors. We also find that economic conditions vary in their influence on giving to subsectors, and gifts to public benefit and human services organizations increase significantly during periods of recession. Findings from our study have direct implications for philanthropists, fundraisers, and policy makes as they seek to understand how economic conditions impact large gifts.
Gender Differences in #GivingTuesday Participation
(2017-12-12) Osili, Una; Mesch, Debra; Preston, Linh; Okten, Cagla; Bergdoll, Jonathan; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Pactor, Andrea
Understanding the role gender plays in philanthropy empowers organizations to engage their donors most effectively and increase their giving. This is true throughout the year and particularly on #GivingTuesday, a day designated to maximize philanthropic giving. Since it began in 2012, #GivingTuesday has grown significantly in participation numbers and total dollars donated. #GivingTuesday, celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, provides a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations to incorporate nontraditional fundraising methods into their efforts and to engage with donors online. For nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, a successful #GivingTuesday requires understanding how and where donors tend to give.
Giving by and for Women
(2018-01-30) O'Connor, Heather; Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Pactor, Andrea; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Dale, Elizabeth; Small, Diana
In an effort to understand who leads philanthropy that benefits women and girls and how these donors are unique, we embarked on a landmark study of high-net-worth women donors. We wanted to deeply understand giving by and for women, and what, in particular, sets these donors apart. We wanted to understand what these donors hope to achieve, and how others—both men and women—might be inspired to make gender equality a focus of their philanthropy.
Giving in Puerto Rico
(2016-09-14) Osili, Una; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Bergdoll, Jonathan; Garcia, Silvia; Li, Yannan; Kane, Addison; Roll, Abe
Giving in Puerto Rico is the first study of its kind to examine the charitable giving patterns, priorities, and attitudes of Puerto Rican households. This report presents details on the Puerto Rican households that give to charity, why they give, what causes they are supporting, and how much they are giving. In addition, this report includes information about Puerto Ricans’ knowledge of the nonprofit sector, informal and formal giving behaviors, volunteering trends, and barriers to giving. Results regarding the impact of tax policy on Puerto Ricans’ charitable giving are also provided.
Giving to Women and Girls: Who Gives, and Why?
(2016-05-24) Mesch, Debra; Osili, Una; Pactor, Andrea; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Bergdoll, Jonathan; Dale, Elizabeth
Within academic research, individual philanthropy directed to women’s and girls’ causes has been understudied. This study highlights new data to understanding who gives to women’s and girls’ causes and their motivations for support. We conducted a two-part, mixed-methods study in the United States. First, we fielded a brief survey among a nationally representative survey panel. Second, we conducted seven focus groups among United Way and women’s fund donors who actively funded women’s and girls’ causes as well as donors who focused on other areas in their giving. In the survey, we find that among people giving to charity, half of women and 40 percent of men self-report giving to at least one cause that primarily affects women and girls. Women are both more likely to give to women’s and girls’ causes and give larger amounts to these causes, and are more likely to report giving to domestic violence organizations, women’s centers, LGBT rights, cancer care and research, and economic opportunities for women and girls. In the focus groups, women report giving to women’s and girls’ causes based on their personal experiences, including experiencing discrimination and having children, and because they believe giving to women and girls provides the best social return. Barriers to giving to women’s and girls’ causes include the complexity and scalability of women’s issues, the sex-segregated nature of women’s giving, and the connection to political issues which are often embedded in women’s causes. While this study provides valuable new research, more research is needed to understand generational differences among donors and how organizations focusing on women and girls can increase donor support.

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Browsing Research by Author "Ackerman, Jacqueline"

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