Matching Subsidies and Voluntary Contributions: A Review

This paper provides a synthesis of the experimental literature on matching subsidies in the context of charitable giving. We classify results according to four different outcome variables frequently considered in the literature and address (i) short‐term effects of linear matching, (ii) the role of the matching rate, (iii) context‐dependence of behavioural responses, (iv) the relevance of the price of giving, (v) long‐term effects and (vi) nonlinear matching schemes. Based on this comprehensive review, we highlight several avenues for future research, such as putting stronger emphasis on competition in fundraising, long‐term effects or heterogeneity in responses.

Epperson, Raphael und Christiane Reif (2019), Matching Subsidies and Voluntary Contributions: A Review, Journal of Economic Surveys 33(5) , 1578-1601