Charity Without Choice: The Impact of Receiving Prosocial Gifts on Subsequent Donations

ABSTRACT This study examines how receiving a prosocial gift, defined as a charitable donation made on behalf of another person, affects gift‐recipients' willingness to donate to the associated charity in the future. Four studies reveal that receiving a prosocial gift that is not explicitly requested decreases subsequent donations compared to when there is no gift exchange. This effect arises because an unrequested prosocial gift can threaten gift‐recipients' sense of freedom, eliciting a reactance response that lowers future donation intentions. Consistent with this explanation, we demonstrate that an intervention that restores gift‐recipients' threatened autonomy, by providing them with an opportunity to decide how the initial donation will be used, attenuates the impact of receiving an unrequested prosocial gift on future donations. Our work contributes to the emerging literature on prosocial gift‐giving and highlights the important role of individual freedom in motivating charitable giving. It also provides charity organizations with insights that can help increase repeat donations from prosocial gift‐recipients.