Altruistic Gift-Giving Motivations & Behavior Survey

Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk about giving and generosity! We're curious how you actually give to others — no right answers, just your honest experience. About 5 minutes.

In the last 12 months, how have you supported causes or people in need through giving?

• Donated money to a charity or cause
• Bought or sent a gift for someone facing hardship
• Volunteered my time for a cause
• Donated goods or belongings
• Contributed to a crowdfunding campaign
• Given money or gifts directly to a stranger or acquaintance in need
• None of these

In the past 3 months, how many separate times have you given money, goods, or your time to someone outside your immediate family without expecting anything back?

Imagine you have $100 to give away this year. How would you split it across these causes?

• Family or friends facing hardship
• Local community causes
• Environmental causes
• Global humanitarian relief
• Animal welfare
• Religious or spiritual giving

How much do you agree with each statement about why you give?

Which of these most and least influence how much you give?

• Emotional connection to the recipient
• Trust that the organization will use the gift well
• Tax deductibility of the gift
• Recognition from peers or community
• How easy the giving process is
• Seeing evidence of the impact afterward
• Religious or moral duty
• Personal habit or family tradition

Rank these ways of giving from most to least preferred when you want to help someone.

1. Giving cash directly
2. Giving a physical gift
3. Volunteering my time
4. Giving a gift card
5. Contributing to a crowdfunding campaign
6. Donating in-kind goods

How likely are you to keep giving at this same level over the next 12 months?

Reconstruct the story behind the respondent's most recent act of generosity toward someone outside their immediate family: what prompted it, who it was for, whether it was planned or spontaneous, and how they decided how much to give. If they indicated tax benefits or recognition drive their giving, probe gently whether that's the real reason or a rationalization added after the fact. If they report little or no recent giving, explore what would need to change for them to start.

Which age range are you in?

• Under 18
• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65 or older
• Prefer not to say

What is your approximate annual household income?

• Under $30,000
• $30,000-$59,999
• $60,000-$99,999
• $100,000-$149,999
• $150,000 or more
• Prefer not to say

That's everything — thank you for sharing how you give! Your answers will feed into research on what actually motivates generosity, helping causes and gifting programs design better ways to ask.