When the gift is halfhearted: A socio-cultural study of ambivalence in a charity sport event

Abstract

Taking a culturally sensitive approach, we set out to explore the social response to, and the cultural adoption of, charity sport events in Israel, where this phenomenon is relatively new and understudied. We show that charity sport events participation is accepted with mixed feelings: participants are motivated by their novice athletic aspirations and love for bike riding, and by their emotional connection to the cause, but at the same time are reluctant to fundraise and donate due to socio-cultural barriers. Using a qualitative, exploratory, single case study design, and relying on the literature of charity sports events, we show that in contrast to the extant distinction between philanthropic givers’ motivations and non-givers’ barriers, participants in charity sport events experience simultaneous motivations for and barriers to their own philanthropic giving. Although they strongly identify with their role as bike riders, and are motivated to take part in a challenging ride, they struggle with the roles of fundraiser and philanthropist that are inherent components of charity sports events. The combination of these experiences yields the experience of ambivalence towards philanthropic giving, which we accordingly term as ambivalent philanthropy.

Why do self-identity and efficacy matter for enjoying participation in charity sports events? The role of the warm glow feeling

“…Therefore, charity sports events generate great value for participants by increasing good health, happiness and enjoyment and igniting a warm glow feeling in response to ameliorating social and environmental problems (Oreg et al , 2021). Rundio et al (2014) demonstrated that participation in charity sports events could help increase donors' positive feelings and enhance their perception of their self-worth.…”

Do Charity or Non-Charity Sporting Events Have a Greater Influence on Participants’ Warm Glow?: An Experimental Survey

“…A charity running event is a fund-raising activity aimed at raising awareness of and money for social issues, such as education, medicine, poverty, or the environment. Participants are required to pay registration fees and all or some of the proceeds are donated towards these social issues [5][6][7]. Such events combine fund-raising and physical activities to provide benefits for both participants and society [7,8].…”

An exploration of charity sport event donor perceptions of online peer-to-peer fundraising mechanisms

“…Research on donor perceptions of online fundraising solicitations is necessary as digital tools have been advanced as critical mechanisms for charity sport event participants to engage with in an effort to bolster fundraising appeals (Filo et al, 2020a). Meanwhile, a lack of trust in nonprofit organisations has been cited as a barrier to making donations in the charity sport event context (Oreg et al, 2020), and the emergence of online fundraising, which can be perceived as less personal, could amplify this distrust. Accordingly, the purpose of the current research is to explore how charity sport event donors perceive solicitations via online peer-to-peer fundraising techniques.…”