This year’s Science of Philanthropy Initiative (SPI) Conference, scheduled for September 16-17 in Indianapolis, will be moving to a virtual format. We regret not being able to gather in person, but feel this is a necessary precaution for the health and safety of our attendees during this critical time of social distancing.
View the Schedule
Wednesday, September 16 – Day 1
| 10:00-11:00 a.m. | Welcome and Keynote Presentation featuring Molly Crockett, Yale University |
| 11:00-11:45 a.m. | Paper Presentations |
| 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. | Break |
| 1:00-2:15 p.m. | Paper Presentations |
| 2:15-3:15 p.m. |
"Impact" Panel Discussion We will discuss how experimental approaches can be applied to impact (or programmatic outcomes of philanthropic interventions) in addition to the mainstay of the conferences to date that has been giving behavior and the incentives that encourage it. Luigi Butera (moderator), Copenhagen Business School Yan Chen, University of Michigan Judd Kessler, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Sera Linardi, University of Pittsburgh Mario Macis, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Amir Pasic (moderator), IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy |
| 3:15-5:00 p.m. | Paper Presentations |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. |
Fireside Chat for Early Career Academics Moderated by John List, Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at The University of Chicago and Sara Konrath , Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy |
Thursday, September 17 – Day 2
| 10:00-10:45 a.m. | Keynote Presentation featuring Jonathan Meer, Texas A&M University |
| 10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | Paper Presentations |
| 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. | Break |
| 1:15-2:00 p.m. |
Keynote Presentation featuring Brian Gallagher, United Way Worldwide VIDEO: View Brian Gallagher's Keynote |
| 2:00-3:15 p.m. | Paper Presentations |
| 3:15-3:30 p.m. | Final comments and closing |
Watch the 2020 synchronous presentation recordings
Keynote speakers:
- Molly Crockett, Yale University
- Brian Gallagher, United Way Worldwide
- Jonathan Meer, Texas A&M University
Organizers:
- Luigi Butera, Copenhagen Business School
- Chris Clapp, Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago
- Sara Konrath, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
- John List, Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at The University of Chicago, and Visiting Robert F. Hartsook Chair in Fundraising at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
- Amir Pasic, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
- Rich Steinberg, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
- Mark Wilhelm, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Call for Papers
SPI is an initiative started by John List, Michael Price and Anya Samek in 2012 to encourage experimental (field and lab) research on charitable giving. In addition to providing an avenue for research discussions, another aim of the conference is to bring together researchers studying charitable giving with practitioners in the field of philanthropy.
We would like to invite presentations that use laboratory or field experiments to investigate social preferences that shape philanthropic giving (including altruism, reciprocity, inequity aversion, warm-glow giving, etc.), techniques charities may use to increase giving, the role of culture on giving, and development of social preferences (i.e., experiments with children/young adults). Topics that are also of interest are volunteerism, the organization of charities/how they operate, and organ/blood donation.
See the papers that were presented in previous years
Additionally, we are pleased to announce a partnership with the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization to release a Special Issue focusing on The Economics of Charitable Giving. Papers accepted at the SPI Conference 2020 may be considered for publication in the Special Issue.
Feel free to contact the guest editors to discuss the fit of different topics to the Special Issue.
- Luigi Butera (lbu.eco@cbs.dk)
- Chris Clapp (cclapp@uchicago.edu)
- John List (jlist@uchicago.edu)
- Mark Wilhelm (mowilhel@iupui.edu)