A Q methodological study of motivations and perceptions of donors in Fort Wayne, Indiana, toward philanthropic giving to nonprofit organizations

This Q study revealed Fort Wayne, Indiana donors' typical attitudes and perceptions toward philanthropy. Participants completed a 55-statement Q sort about 1) perceptions of nonprofit organizations, 2) various fundraising methods, and 3) types of organizations donors prefer funding.The researcher then entered the data into the PQMethod software and determined three factors of donors: Skeptical Givers, Generous Givers, and Untapped Givers.The Skeptical Givers did not trust nonprofit organizations and only donated a limited portion of their money to charities. Skeptical Givers also felt it was more important for them to save their money and support their family than it was for them to donate money to people in need.The Generous Givers held church as one of their top priorities. They were also taught that it was their social responsibility to help those in need. Therefore, the Generous Givers donated their time and over 11 percent of their annual income to nonprofit organizations.The Untapped Givers were business-minded individuals who were also committed to their communities and nonprofit organizations. They trusted nonprofits and considered helping the less fortunate to be a high priority. Although the Untapped Givers gave money to nonprofit organizations, they preferred to donate their time through volunteering and serving on boards of directors. The Untapped Givers were committed to giving financially to charities; however, they only gave a limited portion of their savings to charities.These three factors illustrated that nonprofit development officers should recognize that different strategies might be employed to entice separate segments of donors to give money.Department of JournalismThesis (M.A.