A multidisciplinary model of monetary donations to charitable organizations

The main purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence a person to donate to a charitable organization using a multi-disciplinary approach. Economic (permanent income hypothesis), sociological (symbolic interactionism), and psychological (self extension) theories were used in order to explain charitable giving. To test the hypotheses the 1992 Survey of Consumer Finance and 1994 Giving and Volunteering surveys were used. Logistic regression and tobit procedures were conducted to examine lifecycle and demographic characteristics of donors and non/donors. The results of the regression models reveal that demographic and financial characteristics are good indicators of the amount given to a charity. A structural equation model on the likelihood of a person donating to charity was developed and tested. The results indicated that income and education were good indicators of the likelihood of someone being a donor. Further education was also positively and significantly related to being a volunteer. Being affiliated with a religious organization and having pro-social experiences as a youth were also positively and significantly related to the likelihood of being a donor. Religious affiliation, past pro-social experiences, and favorable attitudes toward charitable organizations were statistically significant and positively related to being a volunteer. Age was not significantly related to the likelihood of donating, volunteering or holding positive attitudes regarding charities. This finding warrants further research into the economic status of elderly persons who do and do not donate, other informal types of helping behavior that older persons participate in that may serve as substitutes, and general cohort effects regarding attitudes toward charitable organizations. Volunteerism was found to be statistically significant and positively related to donating to charity. The results of the structural equation model support the conjecture that the decision to donate to a charitable organization should be investigated using a multi-disciplinary rubric which includes economic, sociological and psychological factors