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Top charitable giving researchers to share insights with nonprofit professionals at Science of Philanthropy Initiative conference

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Leading philanthropy scholars and nonprofit professionals will come together to examine what prompts people to give the way they do and what charities can do to encourage more giving at the Science of Philanthropy Initiative (SPI) conference Sept. 19-20 in Indianapolis.

Participants will hear the latest insights into charitable giving—ranging from the reasons people give or don’t and the personal benefits of giving and volunteering to approaches charities can use to raise more money—drawn from applied research by top national and international scholars. Registration is now open.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis and the University of Chicago. It will be held at the NCAA Hall of Champions and Conference Center, 700 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, Ind., 46204.

Scholars presenting at the conference will discuss the results of research experiments conducted in collaboration with nonprofits, such as testing fundraising theories in the field, as well as experiments done in lab settings. The event also will include a panel of fundraising professionals discussing how research informs professional practice.

“The SPI conference brings together scholars producing the latest research on giving with nonprofit professionals who can implement that knowledge to increase fundraising for their organization’s mission,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the school. “The conference provides an opportunity to learn about a wealth of applicable research on effective fundraising and provides an avenue for in-depth discussions that build knowledge about charitable giving.”

The conference will share new findings about giving and volunteering such as:

  • Do images in fundraising materials contribute to gender or racial biases?
  • Whether donors continue to experience the “warm glow” of giving over time
  • Do matching funds really increase giving?
  • Is there a time limit during which healthcare nonprofits should solicit grateful patients?
  • Does charitable giving to one cause come at the expense of giving to other causes?
  • How volunteering may help slow cognitive decline in senior citizens
  • Are nonprofits with higher overhead costs less likely to receive contributions?
  • How religious beliefs drive where and how much donors give
  • Does #GivingTuesday lift—or shift—year-end giving?
  • Are parents more likely to give as a way to teach children about helping others?

The keynote speakers for the event are Deborah Small of the University of Pennsylvania and Christopher Olivola of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Small will speak about “Impediments to Effective Altruism.” Olivola will discuss “Cognitively Bounded Philanthropy."

The Science of Philanthropy Initiative was launched by John List, Ph.D., Visiting Robert F. Hartsook Chair in Fundraising at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy who is a renowned economist and the chair of the University of Chicago’s Department of Economics, Michael Price of Georgia State University and Anya Samek of the University of Southern California in 2012, to encourage field and lab experimental research on charitable giving.

Registration is open through Sept. 10. One- and two-day registrations and a reduced student registration rate are available.

Media interested in covering the event should contact Adriene Davis Kalugyer at adrldavi@iuu.edu or 317-278-8972.

About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change in the world. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute and the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy. Follow us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy and “Like” us on Facebook.

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