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…