Fundraising Site Applies Game Theory to Boost Donations

The chief executive of charity crowdfunding platform give2gether says it is applying a decade of research into why people give to develop new ways to help nonprofit maximize donations, The Jerusalem Post writes. Arnon Shafir, who founded give2gether with two economics professors, says the organization has adapted game theory and incorporated 10,000 hours of real-life experiments on giving into unorthodox approaches to fundraising.

Among other things, give2gether requires charities to set maximums for single donations and the overall ask, using algorithms to advise groups on appropriate amounts. “We found that minimum and maximum donations caps for a specific campaign at a specific time contribute to higher donor contribution and can increase the likelihood that a person will donate by three or four times,” Mr. Shafir said.