Nonprofit Marketing: A European Perspective on Donations and Religiousness

This study argues that an individual’s religiousness influences his donation practices in multiple and complex ways. Data analysis was carried out under the grounded theory approach, and a series of 34 semi-structured, exploratory interviews were conducted in two European countries with religious different traditions, Portugal and England. The findings support that religiousness is an underlying variable that partly determinates donation practices. Nevertheless, donors state this influence is sometimes present because of background, education, or on other occasions due to personal and intimate reasons. Likewise, there is considerable overlap between such motives for giving behavior between religious and secular donors, and a readiness to give to either religious or secular charities. The interviews and subsequent codifications confirm that different motives, prosocial behavior and the role of religion are closely linked.