Science of Philanthropy Initiative 2026 Conference

The conference will bring together leading philanthropy scholars and nonprofit professionals to explore the latest research on charitable giving and volunteering, focusing on how these insights can drive greater impact on communities and society. A unique feature of the conference is a 'speed-dating' style session. Nonprofit and philanthropy practitioners will have the opportunity to be matched with researchers specializing in charitable giving. Together, the practitioners and researchers will investigate pressing questions facing charitable organizations. SPI is an initiative started by John List, Michael Price, and Anya Samek in 2012 to encourage experimental (field and lab) research on charitable giving. In addition to providing an avenue for research discussions, another aim of the conference is to bring together researchers studying charitable giving with practitioners in the field of philanthropy.