The propensity for charitable bequest giving is much lower than for current charitable giving. Some nonexperimental evidence suggests that this difference may be due to the relatively greater importance of family benefit considerations in charitable bequest giving than in current charitable giving. To test this concept experimentally, the effects of a family-charity conflict reduction message (that is, a reminder of family connections to a cause and an opportunity to make a tribute gift) are measured for both current and bequest giving. For those with family connections to a cause, the message generated increased interest in charitable bequest giving but not in current charitable giving. This result provides experimental support for previous suggestions regarding the special role of family considerations in charitable bequest giving. Managers may profitably consider the use of tribute messages to encourage bequest, but not necessarily current, charitable giving. Such messages were effective at increasing bequest intentions for all organization types and demographic groups tested, especially where the tribute was in honor of an ascendant such as a mother, grandmother, grandfather, or uncle.
BEQUEST GIVING (DEFINED AS ANY POSTMORTEM TRANSFER OF WEALTH TOCHARITY) constitutes a substantial source of revenue for nonprofi t organizations. Th is occurs despite the dramatically lower propensity to engage in bequest giving as compared with current giving. Th is lower propensity may be due, in part, to the relatively greater importance of family considerations in charitable bequest giving. Th e purpose of this research is (1) to experimentally test the relative importance of family considerations by measuring the eff ects of a family-charity confl ict reduction message (tribute giving) on both current and bequest giving and (2) to identify specifi c organization types, recipient groups, and circumstances where such a message may be practically useful for nonprofi t managers.