|
Abstract:
|
This thesis examines the behaviors and attributes of charitable givers. Available literature shows that charitable giving arises from a complexity of motives, attitudes, and demographic attributes. Some may give out of altruism, while others give out of egoism. Others find mercy, humility, obligation, tax deductions, and access to elite business and social networks as motives for giving. Past literature has also established that charitable givers tend to have higher incomes, volunteer more often, and are more likely to be religious. However, what the motivations and demographics in the highest giving individuals is not very clear. The central question is determining what attitudes positively affect charitable giving behavior: What are characteristics of generous people? Using the Independent Sector's 2001 Giving and Volunteering in the United States data, I created two groups of individual household data; those below the 1.2% median percentage of household income given to charity, and those above it. Using a percentage allows direct comparison between households with drastically different income levels. The independent variables are a combination of demographic, attitudinal, and motive attributes. I found that belonging to a religious congregation had the greatest impact on charitable giving, followed by whether they volunteered within the past year. Other variables such as home ownership, marital status, and education also had positive effects on charitable giving. When I examined charitable giving in terms of absolute amounts, variables most closely linked to higher income had the strongest influence on charitable giving. Nonprofits seeking to increase funding need to find ways to distinguish existing and potential donors that are likely to give more than average. To encourage increased donor activity, policymakers can encourage volunteering and civic engagement. |