Using suggested contributions in fundraising for public good: An experimental investigation of the provision point mechanism

A study presents a provision point mechanism experiment designed to investigate the impact of suggested contributions in a public-good contribution process. The study finds that suggesting contributions is ineffective if subjects value the public good equally. However, if valuations for the public good differ among individuals, as they do in the real world, the study finds that contribution suggestions increase the likelihood of providing the public good, increase the fraction of individuals contributing their suggested share, and improve the equity of the distribution of contributions.