NPO Fundraising Strategies in Transformation: A Case Study of the United Way of Taiwan

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines the transformation of the fundraising strategies of the United Way of Taiwan (UWT) from organizational change theory and resource dependency theory. At the same time, it considers the state and significance of nonprofit intermediary organizations in Taiwan that are engaged in charity fundraising and redistribution. The study focuses on the following questions: in order to reasonably distribute social donations among the poor and disadvantaged, how should the UWT effectively raise social resources? What adjustments to its developmental and fundraising strategies should the organization make in response to changes in the external environment? In a Taiwanese charitable donation market that has grown to roughly 50 billion yuan per year, how can the UWT compete or cooperate with other NPOs to increase its fundraising space? The study found that due to considerations of its institutional environment, the UWT focused on attaining legality and legitimacy during its formation. It also found that the change and growth segments of the organizational life cycle were visible in the UWT’s shifts in governance, in personnel, and in its overall development. At the same time, changes made to the UWT’s fundraising strategy demonstrated the organization’s control over resource dependency. Lastly, the study finds that in terms of fundraising strategy, the UWT faces the several challenges of expanding its resource network from the Taiwan’s North to its Middle and South, limiting its dependence on corporate resources, expanding its access to volunteer resources, social services groups and governments, and maintaining its collaborative partnerships.