How Work Performance Shapes Giving in Digital Labor Markets

Abstract

Most charitable gifts come from wages, yet scholarship rarely asks whether the way those wages are earned shapes the way they are donated. We study this question with a two-stage approach. First, we develop an analytical model in which work effort yields both disposable income and identity feedback, creating two routes from performance to generosity: a budget channel (more resources) and a feedback channel (enhanced self-regard). Second, we empirically test the model's predictions with longitudinal, individual-level data from Gitcoin, a blockchain platform that pairs crowdsourcing and crowdfunding. Gitcoin timestamps every work task and donation on-chain, enabling us to track earnings and donations for the same contributors over time. Our results show that positive work feedback leads to earlier subsequent donations, though it does not necessarily increase donation amounts. Furthermore, a higher balance in the work income account raises donation amounts but does not always lead to earlier donations. The findings extend economic models of giving by endogenizing income generation, carrying digital-citizenship insights, and demonstrating the research potential of transparent digital labor ledgers.