Can collaborative giving boost generosity?

People often make charitable donations together with others, from strangers to romantic partners. Do people donate more generously when they give collaboratively with others? Past work has been largely correlational, mixed, and limited. To overcome prior empirical shortcomings, I conducted two well-powered, pre-registered experiments to test whether collaborative giving boosts generosity while also exploring its interpersonal and emotional consequences. In Study 1 (N =202; 101 dyads) and Study 2 (N =310; 155 dyads), pairs of unacquainted undergraduate peers earned money for evaluating a charitable advertisement. Then, I randomly assigned pairs to donate either collaboratively (Studies 1-2), individually in the presence of one another (Studies 1-2), or privately (Study 2). In both studies, I observed no differences in generosity across conditions. However, collaborative (vs. individual) giving boosted generosity through greater intrinsic enjoyment. Additionally, collaborative (vs. individual) giving facilitated social bonds between peers. Practical and theoretical insights are discussed.