Social/emotional goods
There’s a class of goods and specific economics around those goods that doesn’t seem to be recognised and taken into account enough, especially by charities asking for donations.
A donation to charity isn’t a one-way value process. There is a two-way value exchange where the charity receives money and the donor receives social/emotional capital. They feel like a virtuous member of society in return for their donation.
Perhaps what they get in return for their donation could be conceived of in the same way that physical, digital and information goods are conceived, as a social/emotional good that conforms to its own economic principles.
| Type of good | Intangible | Codified | Transferable | Replicable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Information | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Digital | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Social/emotional | Yes | No | No | No |