Charity Value Research Articles

Letter: Regarding Voting for Charity's Sake

Edlin et al.'s reason to "vote for charity's sake" was a valiant attempt to justify, for the hard-nosed logical economist, why to vote on election day. The answer as to why we vote, however, may be simpler than trying to come up with a hypothetical charity value.

The Value of Charity in a World of Profit Maximization

This article addresses the issue of whether the traditional values of charity and philanthropy are ethically recommended, and how they may be reconciled with the sometimes contradictory profit maximization value of the capitalist ‘free market’.1 That is, what place does charity have in the context of the free market where profit maximization is the ruling value? In answering this question, the article contrasts the effects of ‘no mercy’ with that of ‘mercy’ behaviour on overall utility maximization, and argues that what may be best ultimately from an economic efficiency point of view (no charity) may not in fact maximize overall net utility when defined qualitatively to include social capital such as psychological states and other quality of life indicators. The ethical imperative of love for one's fellow humans is also considered in the debate between the two approaches. To address this point, I introduce the concept of ‘loving altruism’, and in this context make the case for charitable acts of mercy that may nonetheless result in a loss of economic utility in a larger sense. The article concludes that there is a valid place for both charity and philanthropy at either the individual or corporate level, and that the efficiency loss may or may not be outweighed by the gains in overall life quality. The ultimate net outcome would be determined by the specifics of each particular case after an explicit consideration of the need for altruism. The article ends by suggesting an application of Aristotle's ‘Golden Mean’ in determining the optimal level of charity.

Does giving make us prosperous?

Nonprofit economists have always assumed that income is a precursor to giving. In contrast, many philosophical and religious teachings have asserted that it is giving that leads to prosperity. This article seeks to test the non-economic hypothesis, using data from the 2000 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey. It identifies strong evidence that money giving does, in fact, influence income. This is consistent with extant psychology research which clearly shows that volunteering leads to positive mental and physical health outcomes. The implication of these findings for researchers and managers is that the value of charity is not limited to those who receive the services that giving makes possible. On the contrary, charity unleashes substantial benefits to the givers themselves.

An investigation into the values dimensions of branding: implications for the charity sector

Abstract Branding is being adopted by charities and written about in academic and practitioner charity literature with increasing frequency. There is also growing concern, however, about the over‐commercialistion of the sector and the misappropriation of techniques developed specifically for the commercial environment. Literature supporting the claim that charities are values‐based organisations is reviewed and the proposition is made that it is in fact the non‐negotiability of charity values that differentiate them from commercial organisations. Given the significance of values in the charity sector, the paper argues that a clearer understanding of how values are conceptualised in branding is necessary in order to establish whether branding is an appropriate and effective tool in the charity context. To achieve this, the paper reviews relevant branding literature focusing in particular upon the delineation of the values dimensions identified in for‐profit branding models. To aid further understanding of these values dimensions in the non‐profit context and their applicability (or otherwise) to it, the metaphors of brand as ‘mirror’, ‘lamp’ and ‘lens’ are introduced. It is argued that in the corporate sector the brand concept has been utilised to ‘mirror’ those values that underpin the needs and desires of consumers. In contrast to the passive mirror, when operationalised as ‘lamp’, it is claimed that the brand aims to influence both the values of the organisation and the values of its target audience. It is postulated that neither of these approaches is appropriate for values‐led organisations and that it is only as a metaphorical ‘lens’, projecting the values of the organisation itself that branding offers an applicable and effective model in the charity context. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.