The impact factor: The effect of actual impact information and perceived donation efficacy on donors' repeated donations

This research examined the utility of providing people with information about the actual impact of their donations. Results of a field survey ( N = 1062) and three controlled experiments ( N = 881) reveal the importance of actual impact information in promoting repeated donations and retaining repeated donors. Exposing participants to information about the actual impact of their donations—compared with exposing participants to anticipated impact information or no information—increased their perceived donation efficacy, which increased their willingness to give a repeated donation, as well as their repeated donation amounts. Notably, donors exposed to actual impact information tended to retain their contribution amounts, whereas donors in other conditions decreased their contribution amounts. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.