The power of a name: beneficiary identifiability in charitable crowdfunding

초록

Crowdfunding has transformed the landscape of charitable fundraising, attracting younger generations and reshaping the future of giving. This research examines the identifiable victim effect (IVE) in the context of crowdfunding by focusing on the disclosure of a beneficiary's name as a psychologically meaningful marker of identifiability. Using large-scale data from a charitable crowdfunding platform, we examine the influence of presenting a beneficiary's name on key campaign performance metrics, such as fundraising success and the amount raised. The results show that name disclosure is positively associated with fundraising outcomes, particularly when the beneficiary is a single individual rather than a group. In addition, the positive association of name presentation remains significant regardless of whether the name is real or a pseudonym, and the effect is stronger when the name appears in the campaign title. These findings provide field-based evidence for the IVE and demonstrate that even minimal identity cues, such as a beneficiary's name, meaningfully shape donor behavior.

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