We conduct a field experiment in conjunction with a direct mail fundraising campaign to test the effect of different forms of subsidies – rebates or matching subsidies – on charitable donations. Previous studies cannot distinguish whether donors are aware of the offer of a subsidy: here...

Returns to investment in human capital have been high in the last half of the 20th century, but at the bottom of the income distribution, the decision to invest in education beyond high school is still seen as complex and risky (Chen, 2002). To the educated, investment in education seems the...

The purpose of the study is to collect information that can be used to design a policy to induce the poor to invest in human capital. We use laboratory experimental methodology to measure the preferences and choices of the target population of a proposed government policy. We recruited 256...

The use of directed giving - allowing donors to target their gifts to specific organizations or functions - is pervasive in fundraising, yet little is known about its effectiveness. We conduct a field experiment at a public university in which prospective donors are presented with either an...

Physical lab experiments have played an instrumental role in sculpting the history of experimental economics, facilitating controlled information conditions, efficient monetary inducements, and exclusive advantages via immediate human interaction and engaging experiences. These unique benefits...