{
  "title": "Good Will Hunting: Do Disasters Make Us More Charitable?",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, February 3, 2023",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2023/02/03/good-will-hunting-do-disasters-make-us-more-charitable-529106",
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  "summary": "Humans are usually compassionate, caring and empathetic toward others, but are we really hardwired for altruism when a disaster hits? There is evidence that people exposed to natural disasters tend to behave more philanthropically, but most studies rely on small-scale surveys and experimental data.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Summary",
      "content": "- Author: Serhan Cevik\n- Date: February 3, 2023\n- Publication: IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2023/022, Issue: 022, Volume: 2023, Pages: 14\n- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400232299.001\n- Stock No: WPIEA2023022\n- ISBN: 9798400232299\n- ISSN: 1018-5941\n- Core question: Whether the COVID-19 pandemic altered prosocial tendencies and charitable donations."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Data and Methodology",
      "content": "- Uses a novel daily dataset of debit and credit card transactions.\n- Real-time analysis of actual charitable donations in three European countries (Baltics: Estonia, Latvia, Lithania).\n- Focus variables include charitable donations as a share of total spending and the interaction with government interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key Findings",
      "content": "- The COVID-19 pandemic and government interventions have no significant effect on how much people contribute to charities as a share of total spending.\n- A higher preference for precautionary savings in the midst of the pandemic appears to outweigh altruistic behavior.\n- Government welfare programs crowd out private charitable donations."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Subject Areas and Keywords",
      "content": "- Subject: Consumer credit, COVID-19, Expenditure, Health, Money, Total expenditures\n- Keywords: Baltics, card transactions, charitable giving, Consumer credit, COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, credit card transactions, donations, Estonia, genorosity, Global, government intervention, government welfare program, Latvia, Lithania, Natural disasters, pandemic shock, prosocial behavior, real-time analysis, Total expenditures"
    },
    {
      "heading": "Publication Notes",
      "content": "- Series: Working Paper No. 2023/022\n- Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress and the views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.\n\nSource: Good Will Hunting: Do Disasters Make Us More Charitable?, Serhan Cevik, IMF Working Papers 2023, 022 (2023).\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Working Paper\n  - Working Paper (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Working Paper (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2023/02/03/good-will-hunting-do-disasters-make-us-more-charitable-529106"
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    "Authors: Serhan Cevik",
    "Published: February 3, 2023",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400232299.001",
    "Author: Serhan Cevik",
    "Date: February 3, 2023",
    "Publication: IMF Working Papers, Working Paper No. 2023/022, Issue: 022, Volume: 2023, Pages: 14",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400232299.001",
    "Stock No: WPIEA2023022",
    "ISBN: 9798400232299",
    "ISSN: 1018-5941",
    "Core question: Whether the COVID-19 pandemic altered prosocial tendencies and charitable donations.",
    "Uses a novel daily dataset of debit and credit card transactions.",
    "Real-time analysis of actual charitable donations in three European countries (Baltics: Estonia, Latvia, Lithania).",
    "Focus variables include charitable donations as a share of total spending and the interaction with government interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic.",
    "The COVID-19 pandemic and government interventions have no significant effect on how much people contribute to charities as a share of total spending.",
    "A higher preference for precautionary savings in the midst of the pandemic appears to outweigh altruistic behavior.",
    "Government welfare programs crowd out private charitable donations.",
    "Subject: Consumer credit, COVID-19, Expenditure, Health, Money, Total expenditures",
    "Keywords: Baltics, card transactions, charitable giving, Consumer credit, COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, credit card transactions, donations, Estonia, genorosity, Global, government intervention, government welfare program, Latvia, Lithania, Natural disasters, pandemic shock, prosocial behavior, real-time analysis, Total expenditures",
    "Series: Working Paper No. 2023/022",
    "Disclaimer: IMF Working Papers describe research in progress and the views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.",
    "**Working Paper**"
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