Comparing Funders' Altruism versus Self-interest: Leveraging the Context of Crisis

Authors

Dan Liu, James Madison UniversityFollow
Guangzhi Shang, Florida State UniversityFollow
Cynthia Fan Yang, Florida State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

While reward-based crowdfunding has widespread popularity, the motivations driving funders, balancing self-interest and altruism, have remained puzzling. Prior research has been constrained by examination methods and produced mixed findings regarding the weight of altruism versus self-interest among funders. Our study takes a fresh perspective, delving into funder behavior amid a major crisis—the tumultuous backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings reveal that funders not only display an increased willingness to contribute but also significantly amplify their contributions, particularly to projects in crisis-affected regions, irrespective of external incentives like rewards. This underscores the prevalence of altruistic motives among funders in challenging times. This new understanding deepens our grasp of crowdfunding dynamics and highlights crowdfunding's vital role as a lifeline for entrepreneurs during major crises.

Recommended Citation

Liu, Dan; Shang, Guangzhi; and Yang, Cynthia Fan (2025) "Comparing Funders' Altruism versus Self-interest: Leveraging the Context of Crisis," Journal of International Technology and Information Management: Vol. 33: Iss. 1, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58729/1941-6679.1613
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/jitim/vol33/iss1/10