Photo by Antoni Shkraba Studio on Pexels.com
Tine Faseur1 , Tine De Bock1 , and Glenn Timmermans2
1KU Leuven, Belgium, 2Hogeschool PXL, Hasselt, Belgium
Why this study? What is it about?
Imagine receiving an email with a donation request from a charity you have never donated to before. The message is urgent, the images are emotional, and the request is clear: donate now. But as you hover over the “donate” button, questions arise. How did they get your contact information? Where exactly will your money go? Is this emotional appeal crossing an ethical line?
Fundraising ethics has become a growing concern as the professionalization of fundraising and the use of marketing techniques have expanded. To address these concerns, nonprofit organizations and professional associations have developed ethical codes that outline best practices for fundraisers. However, these guidelines are primarily created from the perspective of fundraising professionals, leaving a critical gap: how do individual donors—arguably one of the most essential stakeholders—perceive the ethics of fundraising? Despite the nonprofit sector’s dependence on individual donors, research on their ethical views remains scarce. This study fills that gap by exploring what drives donors to perceive fundraising practices as ethical or unethical.
Continue reading “Fundraising Ethics: Toward an In-Depth Understanding of Individual Donors’ Perceptions”
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