When Reward Meets Donation: A Paradoxical Dilemma

Reward-based crowdfunding platforms are increasingly incorporating donation options, allowing backers to financially support campaigns without receiving any tangible rewards in return. Although this option seems to create a novel fundraising channel, our quasi-natural experimental study highlights the potential negative impacts of individual donation occurrences, which ultimately lead to reduced total raised funds, as substantiated by robust empirical evidence. We explore two primary mechanisms responsible for the adverse effect. First, the bystander effect, where prior donations discourage potential backers from supporting the campaign, causing them to either forgo reward purchases or decrease their contribution amounts. Second, the social conformity effect, in which prior donations shape backers' perceptions of social norms and consequently lower their support levels. By offering a comprehensive understanding of behavioral dynamics in crowdfunding, our study enriches the literature on the design and management of crowdfunding platforms and provides valuable insights for industry practitioners.