Donations have traditionally been solicited by nonprofit organizations, but they are increasingly integrated into the shopping experience. Consumers now have various opportunities to support charitable causes while making purchases. A common example is charity checkouts, where customers can round up their total to donate the difference. Beyond this, numerous other mechanisms encourage giving during shopping. This project seeks to systematically map and categorize these donation methods, exploring their differences and implications. By understanding these variations, charities can make more informed decisions about integrating fundraising into shopping environments.

• The project runs from 22 September 2025 - 10 July 2026.
• The project is available in the Fall and Spring semester.
• Number of placements available: 2 per semester.

Faculty Department

Faculty of Economics & Business / Department of Marketing

We are a group of more than 30 professors, postdocs and PhD students, working at three KU Leuven campuses (Leuven, Antwerp, and Brussels). We are a research-oriented department that conducts high-quality and managerially relevant research. Our research focuses on the three domains of marketing: marketing modeling, marketing management & strategy, and consumer behavior. We publish our work in major international journals like Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, and Journal of Service Research. Our group members are active participants of international conferences such as EMAC, Marketing Science, ACR, and La Londe, and act as editorial board members of leading journals. We are also active in hosting our own conferences, such as the yearly Katia Campo Retailing Symposium. We have a strong focus on communicating and transferring our research to decision makers outside academia via e.g., press articles, podcasts, and our LinkedIn group.