Organizational Attributes and Their Effect on Donor Intentions: Examining How the Descriptors Used in Marketing Communications Can Affect Donor Support

ABSTRACT Utilizing a choice-based conjoint survey of donors from four nonprofit organizations, this study investigated individual donation intentions and their organizational and venture attribute preferences. A sample of 191 participants indicated that a nonprofit organization’s administrative efficiency was the most important attribute when choosing between donation options. Attribute choices of 8% and 10% of the budget spent on administrative expenses seem to be strongly preferred over the attributes of 12% and 16%. The attributes concerning the venture itself (the profitability of the venture, the venture’s location, the entrepreneurial competence of those starting the venture, and terms used to describe the venture) were all significantly more important to donors than the age of the nonprofit organization launching the venture. Interestingly, respondents appear to favor a venture described as “social enterprise” over a venture described as a for-profit social enterprise. This study may help determine which organizational and enterprise attributes are most effective in eliciting donor support. These findings extend previous research studies.