The role of personal values in predicting donating behaviour

Charitable giving makes a critical contribution to the viability of a growing non-profit sector. Yet, the sheer number of charities supporting diverse causes makes fundraising highly competitive for charities and confusing for individuals. This competition leads to charities investing heavily in fundraising to attract and retain donors. However, these marketing efforts often result in one-off, small or no donations at all. In this project, we examine relations between the personal value priorities of donors and potential donors and their donating decisions across a wide range of Australian and cross-cultural samples.

The aim of this project is to increase the effectiveness of fundraising in the non-profit sector through the development of a deeper understanding of the motivations that underlie donor decisions.

The data collection for this project was undertaken through the Values Project, funded by an Australian Research Council Grant in partnership with Pureprofile (LP150100434).

• Professor Anat Bardi, Royal Holloway University, London
• Dr Karl-Andrew Woltin, UCLovain, Belgium
• Dr Sheng Ye, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai