Copyrights to papers in the Duke Economics Working Paper Archive remain with the authors or their assignees. Archive users may download papers and produce them for their own personal use, but downloading of papers for any other activity, including reposting to other electronic bulletin boards or archives, may not be done without the written consent of the authors.

Duke Economics Working Paper #97-19

The Economics of Giving

Charles T. Clotfelter

Abstract

Charitable contributions made by individuals constitute one of the principal sources of finance for the vast nonprofit sector in the United States. In spite of, or perhaps because of, the apparent incongruity between giving and the usual kind of selfish behavior portrayed in economics textbooks, economists have devoted considerable attention to it. This paper presents a discussion of the positive research on giving, particularly the empirical models that account for the effects of income and taxes.

JEL:

44 pages

Additional information on this paper may be obtained from Charles Clotfelter, cltfltr@pps.duke.edu