Exploring the role of donor appreciation within the identity verification process

With donor attrition concerning not-for-profit organisations across the donation of time, money and blood, the literature is replete with reference to the need for adequate donor appreciation strategies. Empirical research... [ view full abstract ]

With donor attrition concerning not-for-profit organisations across the donation of time, money and blood, the literature is replete with reference to the need for adequate donor appreciation strategies. Empirical research supports a relationship between providing acknowledgment and recognition to donors, and increased charitable outcomes, yet there is little understanding as to how this relationship occurs. This paper explored the role of online forms of donor appreciation (specifically acknowledgement through email and recognition via social networking platforms) as perceptual inputs in the appraisal process of identity verification. Qualitative data, obtained from 20 semi-structured interviews with individuals who have previously made a donation of time, money and/or blood, demonstrated that online donor acknowledgement and recognition contribute to the appraisal process in different ways. Acknowledgement was found to have a direct influence on an individual’s self-appraisal, which appears to strengthen when information on the donation outcome is also provided. On the other hand, recognition indirectly informs both self-appraisal and reflected appraisal through a feedback mechanism. This paper extends our understanding of donor appreciation in relation to individual appraisals and identity verification to motivate continued charitable behaviour.