Download - Social Networks and Charitable Giving
Social Networks and Charitable Giving
Jen Shang Eliot SmithProfessor of Philanthropic Psychology Professor of Social PsychologyPlymouth University Indiana University, BloomingtonIndiana University
Adrian Sargeant Victoria HurthProfessor of Fundraising Lecture in Sustainable MarketingPlymouth University Plymouth University
Does Social Networks Matter?• Economics• Sociology• Public Policy• Social Psychology• Nonprofit Management• Philanthropic Studies
• Quantify the how and the why… in the context of charitable giving.
Study 1 - Procedure• We sent 3979 one-page, two-sided donor surveys to donors of an
NPR station.
• A pre-addressed envelope is included to return the surveys to us, not the station.
• We received 708 completed surveys (17.79% response rate) linkable to donors’ contribution history through a member number.
• Dependent variable of interest: Life-long giving to the radio station.
• Independent variable of interest: Type and Size of social networks.
Control Variables
Study 1 - Results
Study 2 - Procedure• 547 Public radio station donors
• IV = “How many of your family and friends also listened to STATION_NAME?”
• MV = Either the question is asked before or after the amount of donations?
• DV = The amount of giving
0 20 40 60 80 100 120$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
f(x) = − 0.555231227106166 x + 153.05908501221
f(x) = 0.809447696604181 x + 129.137886777647
Before Linear (Before) After Linear (After)
Network Size
Aver
age
Cont
ributi
on
Study 3 - Procedure• 333 Public radio station donors
• IV = Perceived Social Network Size• MV = Type• Listen network: “Before I take your pledge, may I ask
how many of your friends and family also listen to STATION_NAME?”
• Resident network: “Before I take your pledge, may I ask how many of your friends and family also live in CITY_NAME?”
• DV = The amount of giving
Study 3 - RESULTS
Study 4 - Procedure• 287 Public radio station donors
• IV = Perceived Social Network Size: More or Less
• Fifth percentile network: “: Thank you for calling STATION_NAME. This is __________, before I take your pledge, may I ask if you have more or less than 2 friends and family who also listen to STATION_NAME?”
• Fiftieth percentile network: “: Thank you for calling STATION_NAME. This is __________, before I take your pledge, may I ask if you have more or less than 45 friends and family who also listen to STATION_NAME?”
• Ninety-fifth percentile network: “: Thank you for calling STATION_NAME. This is __________, before I take your pledge, may I ask if you have more or less than 150 friends and family who also listen to STATION_NAME?”
• DV = The amount of giving
Study 4 - RESULTS
Study 5• Do you believe more or less than 10 friends or family have
benefitted from this charity?
• Do you believe more or less than 10 friends or family think you should donate to this charity?
• Do you believe more or less than 10 friends or family have donated to this charity?
• Do you believe more or less than 10 friends or family would ideally like to donate to this charity?
Study 5 - SURVEY• 1280 existing UK donors (purchased list from private data
providers)
• The first question asked in the survey after a brief to the purpose of the work was: “among all the charities you have supported, which charity would you say is your favourite?”
• • Forty-four charities were named by more than five respondents in
the sample as their favourite charities.
• Close to 50% of the respondents named a disease charity as their favourite, with the majority of the balance dealing with issues such as helping children, international development/aid and animals.
DV = Giving• We then asked respondents to reflect on their donations to their
favourite charity. They were asked the following series of questions, concluding “How likely is it that you might increase your donation to this charity on a scale of 1-7? (1 = not at all likely, 7 = extremely likely)”
• • Do you make monthly donations to this charity?• IF YES: Would you mind if I were to ask you the level of that
monthly gift?• IF NO: Would you mind if I were to ask you the level of your last
gift to them? • How likely is it that you might increase your donation to this
charity on a scale of 1-7? (1 = not at all likely, 7 = extremely likely)
Study 5 - ResultMODELS
1 2
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Comparative Beneficiary Network 0.609** .695**
Comparative Donor Network 0.315 0.371
Comparative "SHOULD" Network 0.414 0.404
Comparative "IDEAL" Network 0.624** .509**
Giving Variables
Past Giving YES YES
Social Economic Variables
Sex NO YES
Gender
College Eduction
Graduate Education
Caucasian
Married
Number of Dependent Children
Number of Independent Children
So…