Why Are Donors More Generous With Time Than Money? Jeff Grabmeier - Ohio State News
go to original April 18, 2022

People would rather donate their time, like at this food drive, than their money. (Getty)

People would rather spend their money on a charitable cause than simply give to it, a new study suggests.

You may wonder: What’s the difference? The answer is control.

Researchers found that donors feel like they have more control over their donation when they are told they’re actively spending their money on an important cause, as compared to giving their money.

“The word ‘give’ can have a more negative connotation than ‘spend’ to donors. ‘Give’ highlights how you’re being separated from your money, which is not appealing,” said Selin Malkoc, co-author of the study and associate professor of marketing at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

“But ‘spending your money’ has a different connotation – it implies that you’re still a part of the cash you’re providing to the charity.”

The findings were part of larger study that examined how donors felt about giving their time versus their money to nonprofits. More than 2,700 people participated in seven related studies. The research was co-authored by John Costello of the University of Notre Dame and published online recently in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Overall, the study found that people prefer giving their time to nonprofit organizations rather than their money, because they feel more personal control over how their time is used, according to Malkoc.

“It is not possible to separate ourselves from our time, the way that we can from our money,” she said. “When you give your time, it is still a part of you. You are still living through it.”

The problem is that nonprofits usually prefer financial donations over donations of time, she said. This new research suggests a way that charities can make giving money more appealing, by offering donors a feeling of having more power over how their financial gifts are used.

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