Understanding Fundraising and the Employees Decision To Give

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Understanding Fundraising and the Employees
Decision To Give

• Wendi Herum
• May 2003

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Why I chose this topic

• Member of Northwestern College Advancement Office
• Disappointing results from annual staff/faculty
  campaign

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Research question

• Is there a relationship between employee
  understanding of fundraising and their decision
  to donate to the organization?

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Why this topic is important

• Nonprofit donations are important to our national
  economy
• 819,000 nonprofit organizations
• 203.45 billion industry

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Why this topic is important

• Nonprofit donations are important to educational
  Advancement departments
• 24.2 billion industry
• Raise more funds

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Survey participants

• Northwestern College
• Bethel College Seminary
• John Brown University

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Survey response

• 1186 surveys distributed
• 493 surveys returned
• 42 response rate

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Survey

• 30 question survey
• Sought to identify employee perceptions of
• Advancements role in fundraising
• Advancements methods in fundraising
• Advancements effectiveness in fundraising

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I understand Advancements role in fundraising
Percentage
10
I understand the methods Advancement uses to
raise funds
Percentage
11
I think Advancement is effective in raising funds
Percentage
12
If I had additional resources Id give more to
this organization
Percentage
13
If I had additional resources Id give more to
this organization
Percentage
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What does this mean?

• There is a slight relationship between employee
  understanding and donating
• Data does not prove understanding increases
  donating

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How can this research benefit Advancement
departments?

• Areas of opportunity
• Among non-donors
• 54 dont understand role
• 51 dont understand methods
• 31 dont believe Advancement is effective

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How can this benefit Advancement departments?

• Data suggests an opportunity to improve employee
  perception of Advancement area

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Future research

• Research reasons why employees do not give
• Determine if Advancements time is well-spent
  educating employees about its function

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Questions?