Donation behavior toward in-groups and out-groups: The role of gender and moral identity

We investigate how two important social identities—gender identity and moral identity—result in differential donations to in-groups and out-groups. Results from three studies indicate that moral identity importance tends to increase donations to out-groups (Iraq, Indonesia) and not to in-groups (London, New Orleans). How-ever, this occurs only for consumers with a feminine gender identity. For consumers with a masculine gender identity, moral identity importance increases donations to the in-group but not the out-group. Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS) mediates the moderating role of gender identity on the effect of moral identity on in-group and out-group donations. Donating to charitable causes is an incontrovertible partof the American consumer’s life (Brooks 2006; In-dependent Sector 2001). In 2006, individual Americans do-nated over $220 billion (Giving USA 2007) to over one million charitable organizations targeting both domestic and international causes (Network for Good 2005). Though vo-litional, donations to domestic versus international causes seem to differ. Charitable organizations received an esti-mated $1.54 billion from U.S. individuals for Indian Ocean tsunami relief versus an estimated $4.25 billion for Hurri-cane Katrina (Giving USA 2006). This threefold increase for Katrina over tsunami belies the fact that the Indian Ocean tsunami death toll was estimated at 212,611, 160 times tha