Giving Behavior In College Students

Individual donations make up over two-thirds of donations to a charitable organization, making it essential for nonprofits to understand their target market so they can effectively use their resources in an efficient outreach plan. This study will explore the variables of gender, Greek life involvement, and social belongingness and their effect on likelihood of donating among college students and recent graduates. The effect of these variables can be used to predict what individuals are most likely to donate. A survey was distributed to 152 college students and recent graduates ages 18-30. I found that men are more likely to donate both money and time compared to women. Greek life members are more likely to donate time and money, with more money donated and hours volunteered, on average, than nonmembers. There exists a cultural stereotype where both men and women believe women agree more with the values of charitable giving, when in reality, men agree to the statements more than women, leading to men donating more time and money to the organizations. The main motivators for donating do not differ across gender or Greek life involvement, as the number one reason for donating among all groups is an individual’s belief in the organization that they are donating to