Ethics and fundraising from the donor’s point of view

In a competitive non-profit sector, donor retention is vital for a sustainable base of individual giving. Trust is one of the key drivers of donor loyalty. Non-profit organizations can foster trust by adhering to appropriate standards of professional conduct. Throughout the years, several (self-regulating) organizations were set up in many different countries to regulate the ethics of fundraising. Their ethical codes (for fundraising) are usually developed by and for fundraisers. It is surprising that critical reflections on the ethical side of fundraising rarely took place while considering the donor’s perspective. Although many studies have researched donor’s behavior and motivations to donate, very little is known about donors’ ethical perceptions of current fundraising practices as well as the processes underlying these beliefs. The current project aims to address this gap in professional and academic literature.

Keywords:fundraising

Disciplines:Applied economics, Economic history, Macroeconomics and monetary economics, Microeconomics, Tourism