UC San Diego

We investigate prosocial preferences in contexts where giving involves small amounts. Focusing on the lower bound of generosity, we propose an asymmetry: givers may prefer to give nothing rather than a small amount, whereas receivers prefer receiving a small amount to receiving nothing. Evidence from two survey experiments (N = 1,658), an incentivized laboratory experiment (N = 296), and a field study involving 77 fundraising sessions supports the existence of a reluctance to give small amounts. Our findings further suggest that this reluctance is misaligned with receivers’ preferences and that informing givers that small amounts are acceptable significantly increases the likelihood of giving.