Individual Giving to Support Cultural Heritage

The authors analyze patterns of private individual giving to cultural heritage institutions in Italy. Based on the emerging economic literature on prosocial behaviour, they conducted a survey to assess individuals' willingness to donate to museums and heritage institutions according to different conditions and sets of incentives. The findings reveal that the intrinsic motivations and accountability of the recipient institutions may be more effective drivers of charitable giving than the usual fiscal incentives. The results indicate avenues for future empirical research and suggestions for fundraising policies by cultural institutions.