Full Citation

Title: Three Essays on the Economics of the Nonprofit Sector

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2013

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Abstract: This dissertation contributes to a line of research that asks: What motivates individuals to engage in cooperative behaviors or voluntary action for the public good? From the examples above, it seems that individuals do not simply maximize monetary gain, but what else do they maximize? An understanding of such motives is not purely a theoretical curiosity, but instead has important practical consequences for government, employers, fundraisers, and others. As an illustration, consider an individual who makes a donation to a college scholarship fund for underprivileged children in her state. Perhaps she made this donation because she is genuinely concerned about the educational attainment of these children. Or perhaps she made the donation because donating simply makes her feel good, or provides some warm glow.2 The full impact of government spending on scholarships for underprivileged children depends critically on which type of motive is prevalent. If the donor gives because of warm glow, she will continue to give when government increases its own spending activities thereby allowing government toactually increase funding available for the scholarships. If, on the other hand, the donor is concerned about the amount of funding available for scholarships, government spending serves as a fine substitute for donations and so she may reduce her donations. This, then, would limit the ability of government to impact actual funding available for scholarships. This is just one example of how understanding the motives for generosity can make a critical difference in understanding the economic impact of practical decisions made by governments or other groups. This dissertation studies doing good in several settings with the goal of learning about the preferences that lead individuals to do good, which in turn will help us understand the broader impact of government spending, incentives to work for nonprofits, and incentives to donate to nonprofits.

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Authors: Jones, Daniel

Institution: University of Pittsburgh

Department: Economics

Advisor: Dr. Lise Vesterlund

Degree: PhD

Publisher Location: Pittsburgh, PA

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other

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