Open AccessThe more you have, the less you give? Prospective donation behavior for COVID-19 causes
Author(s) -
Alexandra Maftei
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
romanian journal of applied psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.102
H-Index - 1
eISSN - 2392-845X
pISSN - 2392-8441
DOI - 10.24913/rjap.22.1.03
Subject(s) - donation , covid-19 , psychology , prospective cohort study , pandemic , social psychology , demographic economics , medicine , economics , economic growth , surgery , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Donation behavior is essential for non-profit organizations, especially during a health crisis, suchas the current COVID-19 pandemic. The present study explored a series of associated factors ofdonor behavior, such as age, gender, income, education, and cause-related factors, in a sample ofRomanian adults (N= 168, age range 20-78 years old, 77% females). Our analyses suggested thatthe fundraising cause's emotional value, along with the fundraiser's public and personalimplications, were the most relevant motivational factors for the donor’s behavior. Age, income,and educational level were significantly associated with self-reported donation activity. In essence,younger participants with lower incomes and educational levels reported donating more money toNGOs, mostly to education-related causes. Finally, in a prospective donation task for one of thecurrent COVID-19 related Non-Governmental Organizations’ campaigns, results suggested that a)the higher the income, the lower the probability of donating, and b) the fundraising type of causewas significantly associated with prospective donation behavior. People who usually donated moreto medical causes were the most likely to engage in altruistic behavior for coronavirus pandemicrelated issues. We discuss these preliminary results within the current coronavirus crisis andpotential implications for both the non-profit and governmental sectors.