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Title

Understanding The Influence Of Donor Residency On Motivations Toward Philanthropic Donations

Author

Frank Edwin Wood, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Advisor

Russell Abratt

Committee Member

Mike Bendixen

Committee Member

Eric Haley

Abstract

Non-profit organizations have provided substantial services and resources to society such as arts, education, and social services. The cultivation and generation of financial donations through fundraising and development efforts are critical to the operation of non-profit organizations. This reality compels these organizations to continually attract and retain donors. To assist non-profit organizations' efficacy in fundraising, prior research has indicated the need for more studies on individual donor actions which could lead to a comprehensive model of donor behavior.

One variable that had not yet been studied in relation to donor behavior is the influence of residency on donor motivations, specifically donors that own homes in different communities. Extant research reports that differences exist for homeowners related to their primary and secondary residences. These differences are evidenced by disparity in place attachment for the homeowners and by a variance in their behaviors at each home.

This study surveyed non-profit organization donors in South Florida who own primary and secondary homes in different communities to determine if donors would exhibit a difference in their motivations for giving based on their different residences. Partial Least Squares regression, augmented with permutation tests, was run to evaluate hypotheses: donors would exhibit a difference in various motivations for making donations to non-profit organizations based on their residences.

Results indicate no significant difference in donor motivation between the two residences; however, the significance levels of the latent variables did exhibit differences. The motivation factor of affinity for a cause/organization indicates an area of significance to both researchers and practitioners. The results of the study point to no differences in the amount donated based on whether the donor is considering their primary or secondary residence.

Based on these findings, fundraisers do not need to target potential donors based on "seasonal" versus "permanent" residency; altruism, egoism, and tangible/financial benefits are similarly applicable regardless of location. One useful finding for managers with future fundraising campaigns is donor-perceived differences in affinity for organizations/causes and affinity for community. Fundraising efforts that center on campaigns and activities that create greater bonds between the donor and the organization/cause/community could foster greater fundraising results than those that appeal to simply "doing good" and "being important".

NSUWorks Citation

Frank Edwin Wood. 2013. Understanding The Influence Of Donor Residency On Motivations Toward Philanthropic Donations. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. (119)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hsbe_etd/119.