The determinants of supporting crowdfunding sites: Understanding internal and external factors from public relations’ perspectives

This study examines the internal and external factors affecting behavioral intention of online donation and word-of-mouth via crowdfunding sites. The conflicting findings from the literature provided rationales and several key variables for this study. To investigate the key variables, the authors conducted an online survey. The result confirmed that social identification, involvement, credibility of platforms, and attitudes toward online donation positively predict intention to donate online. In addition, social identification, involvement, and crowdfunding site features had predictive power on the intention of word-of-mouth. Theoretical and practical implications for public relations and communication practitioners are provided in the discussion.