Lost in translation: A sociological study of the role of fundraisers in mediating gift giving in non‐profit organisations

Abstract

Recent years have seen a significant growth in the technical literature exploring charitable giving and fundraising. However, there is little empirical research on the actual workings of the fundraising process within non-profit organisations. In this paper, the day-to-day practice of fundraising is analysed from a sociological perspective that draws on the theories of the gift proposed by Mauss (1954), Titmuss (1970, and colleagues to propose an alternative, more complex giving model to strangers. Using qualitative data drawn from 44 interviews with fundraisers and their colleagues across 14 organisations, this study examines how fundraisers build and maintain long-term giving relationships with the individuals who provide financial support to non-profit organisations. Findings suggest that the primary gift giving relationship exists not between the giver and beneficiary but rather between the giver and fundraiser. The fundraiser, in this instance, actively employs tactics of reciprocity to both secure new gifts and ensure that givers continue to support their organisation. In doing so, fundraisers construct a narrative of the donor's imagined direct connection to the beneficiary and their "good gift".Simultaneously, the fundraiser works with colleagues to construct the idea of the caring, connected, and sacrificial donor as a means to solicit their support in maintaining the continued gifting from these supporters. The paper concludes with a consideration of the ways in which these narrative constructions are incorporated into fundraising and organisational strategies; and two implications for perceptions of the role of philanthropy and fundraising.

Beyond survival mode: Organizational resilience capabilities in nonprofit arts and culture fundraising during the Covid‐19 pandemic

“…Usually written from a marketing or management orientation, this literature is designed to help fundraisers “get the job done” (Holman & Sargent, 2006 ; Lloyd, 2006 ; Sargeant & Jay, 2014 ). On the other hand, an emerging field of critical fundraising studies (Alborough, 2017 ; Breeze, 2017 ; Herrero & Kraemer, 2020 ) is gradually building a theoretical base to examine the “taken for granted”, “common sense” assumptions underpinning fundraising, as something that one learns “by just getting on with it” (Breeze, 2017 , p. 94). In this article, we argue that the organizational environment within which fundraisers operate is crucial to their in/ability to carry out their work effectively.…”

Stories of strangers: Writing donor acquisition letters in the human services

“…Fundraisers communicate intentionally and directly with the potential donor public on behalf of charitable organizations. Yet, as recent research has noted (e.g., Alborough, 2017;Bhati & Hansen, 2020;Breeze, 2017), research on fundraisers and on current fundraising practice, as distinct from donor motivation and behavior, is scarce. Much of the description of practice here draws on the practical fundraising literature.…”

“…Analyzing fundraising at a micro-level-focusing on fundraisers' understanding of stakeholder interests and their attendant behavior, rather than analyzing organizations or subsectors-allows us to observe how fundraisers are encouraging support for and cooperation with their organizations (Fligstein, 2001). Recent qualitative analysis supports the idea that fundraisers shape their narratives according to both the needs of the organization for which they are raising funds, and their understanding of donors' interests (Alborough, 2017;Breeze, 2017). The first question this paper addresses is: What tactics do fundraisers use, in practice, to attract new donors?…”

Toward a triadic understanding of charitable giving: how donors, beneficiaries, fundraisers, and social contexts influence donation decisions

“…Yet, as Breeze (2017a) highlights, the role that fundraisers play in charitable giving is rarely studied. The small literature on this topic has been qualitative in nature and largely focused on the experiences of major donor fundraisers who develop one-on-one relationships with high-value donors and philanthropists (Alborough, 2017;Breeze & Jollymore, 2017;Dean & Wood, 2017).…”

“…Major donor fundraisers work as trusted brokers who build the donor's confidence in the charity and help the donor to understand the charity world (Breeze & Jollymore, 2017). They see themselves as mediators between the donors and the beneficiaries (Alborough, 2017). In short, fundraisers are inherently aware of the triadic nature of charitable giving.…”