The research notes are published quarterly. Previous editions can be found at the Member Portal.
Issue IV: September 2023
Virtual Reality can drive an increase in the value of donations
Authors: Nina Sooter – University of Geneva | Giuseppe Ugazio – University of Geneva
Provided by: Rebecca McMurray
This paper investigates whether virtual reality is more effective than traditional forms of media at increasing the value of donations. Virtual reality gives participants the feeling of being immersed in a virtual world. The authors compared the donor behavior of people viewing a setting via Virtual Reality or on a computer screen (i.e. traditional forms of fundraising). The authors focus on the following question: Does using virtual reality as a fundraising medium increase the likelihood and value of donations?
#VirtualReality #Innovation #NextGen #Technology #Fundraising
The everlasting appeal of charity galas
Author: Fiona Fairbairn – University of Kent
Provided by: Donna Platt from Gorilla Doctors
Charity galas have historical significance in elite fundraising; however, there is a potential decline in their popularity, with younger generations looking to engage with philanthropy in ways that differ from those of previous generations. Therefore, it is unclear if charity galas are still relevant today. The study compares attitudes towards charity galas in the UK among donors of different generations and fundraisers, focusing on emerging (younger generations) and established donors (older generations).
#Gala #Fundraising #Donor #Motivation #Connect #Cause
How socialization influences informal volunteering
Authors: Marlou Ramaekers – Radboud University | Ellen Verbakel – Radboud University | Gerbert Kraaykamp – Radboud University
Provided by: Katy Adams from the University of Heidelberg
Concerns have been raised over the potential decline of community life. This study discusses the impact of parents and current partners on behaviours during adulthood that foster social bonds. The study questions whether parents and partners modelling and encouraging prosocial behaviour affects adults‘ informal volunteering.
#Informal #Volunteering #Socialization #Modelling #Encouragemment
Unlocking Insights from Elite Donors
Author: Beth Breeze – University of Kent
Provided by: Gregory Knott of the University of Connecticut Foundation
Elite donors are crucial for many non-profits, but an overreliance on indirect indicators of their motivations, experiences, and perspectives limits organizations’ understanding of this key constituency. This study presents strategies to overcome the challenges in gaining access and engaging in direct, substantive dialogue with elite donors
#Philanthropists #MeaningfulImpact #HNWDonors #CapitalCampaignSuccess
Donor inspiration in a peer-to-peer context
Authors: Laura Hesse – Universität Hamburg | Silke Boenigk – Universität Hamburg
Provided by: Anna-Leah Gebuehr
The study examines how peer fundraisers influence the donation behaviour of donors within peer fundraising campaigns, drawing on the concept of inspiration. Insights from this study can help fundraising managers design fundraising campaigns and develop new peer donor recruitment strategies by considering donor motivations beyond their charity’s cause. The key question it answers is if inspiration and its sources, especially a peer fundraiser, can inspire donation behaviour.
#Charity #Fundraising #Campaign #DonorInspiration #PeerToPeer
The rise of benefit corporations as the new form of firm altruism
Author: Livia Ventura | University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership | University of Geneva
Provided by: Theresa Gehringer from SKKG Stiftung für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte
Over the past decade, companies have increasingly recognized the importance of achieving positive environmental and social impacts beyond generating profits. In response to civil society’s demands, new hybrid organizational forms such as the “benefit corporations” have emerged in the U.S. These corporations are characterized by a governance structure that incorporates altruism into the decision-making processes. As such, benefit corporations represent a new governance model that goes beyond philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. The voluntary inclusion of a “public benefit” for society and the environment in the corporate purpose is the main characteristic of such organizations.
#Corporations #Altruism #Sustainability #StakeholderCapitalism #Governance
Balancing financial and social goals in dual-purpose companies
Authors: Julie Battilana – Harvard University | Tomasz Obloj – HEC Paris | Anne-Claire Pache – ESSEC Business School | Metin Sengul – Boston College
Provided by: Ana Pimenta from Blink CV
There is a growing trend of companies attempting to balance financial and social goals simultaneously. However, they often face challenges because different stakeholders have different expectations. When these challenges become more intense, companies might prioritize one goal, which can lead to them losing their original mission or even going bankrupt. In this article, the authors explore the conditions that influence the intensity of the financial/social trade-offs experienced by dual-purpose companies.
#Dualpurpose #EconomicLiberalism #Governance #SocialEconomy
| About the ERNOP Research Notes Most academic research on philanthropy is underutilised, while on the other hand, there is a need for practitioners to learn from academics. Given limited resources within the academic and philanthropy community, academic insights should be used as much as possible. However, practitioners rarely have time and access to the work published in academic journals. Besides, not all content of academic papers is relevant for practitioners. At the same time, academics often do not have time and/or skills to make their work accessible for practitioners and, what’s more, they get little rewards for doing so as the number of individual publications is often too limited to build a constituency. Therefore the European Research Network On Philanthropy (ERNOP) – the academic network of philanthropy researchers in Europe – develops the ERNOP Research Notes. The Research Notes are an initiative by ERNOP and endorsed by the European Fundraising Association (EFA), Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea), the Centre for European Volunteering (CEV) and the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA). More information about the Research Notes can be found here. |