Donors Benefiting From Philanthropy Seen as Bad Form, Study Finds

Yale University research suggests that people look less favorably on giving in which there is also a tangible benefit to the donor than on no giving at all, Time magazine and The Huffington Post write.

In a series of experiments, the results of which were published in the journal Psychological Science, Yale professors George Newman and Daylain Cain presented test subjects with dueling scenarios—one in which a person or company does something with no charitable intent and one in which the person or firm performs a charitable act but receives a benefit, such as payment, higher sales, or impressing a potential date.

In all cases the subjects were more likely to find fault with the person or entity seen as deriving personal gain from philanthropy, which the researchers termed the “tainted-altruism effect.” The study indicates “that people may react very negatively to charitable initiatives that are perceived to be in some way ‘inauthentic,’” Mr. Newman said.