Why do wealthy people donate? A behavioral economic analysis

Project Lead: Katharina Gangl
Team: Hermann Kuschej, Kira Abstiens, Aja Ropret Homar, Sylvia Buchberger, Michael Keinprecht, Laurenz Lienerbrünn
Duration: October 2022 – June 2023
Funding: Fundraising Verband Austria


This project investigates how a culture of philanthropy can be developed. What incentives and motives lead wealthy people to donate? What barriers and difficulties, both personal and structural, stand in the way of philanthropic engagement? How can the willingness to donate be increased? How, for example, can communication about donations be encouraged and how should this communication be designed? These and other questions will be examined from a behavioral science perspective and addressed with the help of expert interviews and interviews with wealthy individuals. Based on the findings from the interviews and two workshops with experts, measures to foster a culture of philanthropy will be proposed and summarized in a project report.