ESTIMATING CORPORATE CHARITABLE GIVING for Giving USA

Abstract

Estimating corporate giving is an important part of the estimation process for Giving USA and is used independently by a variety of practitioners, policy makers, business leaders, and the media. While Giving USA has changed its estimation process over time, it has never previously examined what might be the “best” model for these estimations. We tested hundreds of permutations and combinations of variables and specifications that were used historically and that were suggested to us by scholars and practitioners from around the country. This paper summarizes the problem, the process and the results.