Linking Environmental Health and Civic Health: An Analysis of Air Pollution and Charitable Giving

This study examines the effect of air pollution on charitable giving. We suggest that the burdens associated with poor air quality are associated with a dampening of civic and philanthropic engagement. Analyzing 12 years of county-level data from the United States with fixed-effects OLS and instrumental variables regressions, we identify a consistent, negative, and significant relationship between extreme levels of air pollution, particularly ozone and PM10 levels, and the propensity for charitable donations. This research contributes to nonprofit and environmental studies by extending the understanding of societal and philanthropic motivations to include ecological factors. It also serves as a call to action for policymakers and charities to recognize the role of environmental health in shaping civic generosity.