Interactive effects of power and donation target on charitable giving

Is a powerful person more or less generous than a powerless person in terms of charitable giving request? In this work, we argue that power's effect on charitable giving depends on donation target. Across two studies, having high power decreased donation to a specific person, whereas having high power increased donation to a charitable organization. Moreover, the effect of power on donation across donation targets was mediated by the felt social distance toward the population in need. We discuss the theoretical implications for contemporary debates about power's effects and practical implications of power for designing effective donation appeals.