Organizational Commitment and Involvement: Explaining the Decision to Give to Associations

Charitable gifts provide vital support for the operation of many associations. Using data collected from members of six professional associations, this study examines the factors that influence charitable donations to this particular type of organization. The results of logistic regression models suggest that the decision to give to associations is not driven by the inducement of tax deduction but by members' commitment to associations, their level of engagement in these organizations, and whether they were solicited for a charitable gift. In addition, retired non-U.S. members who have supported other community organizations are more likely to donate to associations as are members working for government and those holding higher job positions. The results suggest that soliciting donations significantly increases the propensity to give, particularly among members with low educational attainment. Practical implications of the empirical findings are discussed.