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Give and take in major gift relationships
Author(s) -
McDonald Katie,
Scaife Wendy,
Smyllie Susan
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.2011.tb00212.x
Subject(s) - reciprocity (cultural anthropology) , project commissioning , public relations , equity (law) , publishing , gift giving , social capital , sociology , competition (biology) , empirical evidence , marketing , business , political science , social science , law , conflict of interest , finance , ecology , philosophy , epistemology , biology
This article investigates the complex phenomenon of major gift giving to charitable institutions. Drawing on empirical evidence from interviews with 16 Australian major donors (who gave a single gift of at least AU$10,000 in 2008 or 2009), we seek to better understand donor expectations and (dis) satisfaction. Given growing need for social services, and the competition among nonprofit organisations (NPOs) to secure sustainable funding, this research is particularly timely. Currently, little is known about major donors' expectations, wants and needs. Equity theory, with the concept of reciprocity at its core, was found to provide a useful framework for understanding these phenomena. A model of equitable major gift relationships was developed from the data, which portrays balanced relationships and identifies potential areas of dissatisfaction for major donors. We conclude by offering suggestions for NPOs seeking to understand the complexities of major gift relationships, with practical implications for meeting donors' needs.