Asking on the basis of a single “unit” and then scaling up. E.g., ask “how much would you give to help a single woman get a fistula surgery”? Next ask, “we are targeting the village of Smallville, where 30 women are likely to need the surgery in the next year.” How much will you be willing to give to help all 30 of these women?

Alternative tool name:

Tool variation:

Category: Info/communications

Sub-category:

Relevant theories: Scope insensitivity

Type of evidence:

Evidence strength (ad hoc assessment):

“asking donors to indicate a hypothetical amount
for helping one of the needy persons before asking donors to decide how much to donate for all of the needy persons.”

Not clear whether this is a superpower; think about how it might help us overcomes scope insensitivity.

Prevalence:

• Unit Asking: A Method To Boost Donations And Beyond

Contributors