The Mediating Role of Identification with a Nonprofit Organization in the Relationship Between Competition and Charitable Behaviors

Abstract

Our aim was to demonstrate how competition among nonprofit organizations (NPOs) influences people's charitable behaviors, such as donating and volunteering. We used structural equation modeling to analyze 205 responses from: (a) randomly selected individuals on the donor lists of 3 leading NPOs in China, and (b) students at 3 large universities in China. The results reveal that as competition amongst NPOs increased, the individuals' identification with NPOs became greater. Further, as the respondents' NPO identification increased, their charitable behaviors relative to the organization also increased; thus, identification played a mediating role between competition and donating and/or volunteering. These findings suggest that managers of NPOs can use competition to help potential supporters better identify with those organizations, increasing the likelihood of gaining support by more effectively distinguishing their organization from other NPOs. Given that we found donations were a direct result of identification, advertising efforts should be focused on creating a distinctive NPO identity with which members of the public can relate.