Differentiating Among Volunteers, Donors, and Donor/Volunteers

It is clear that the nonprofit sector is a vital part of the economy. It is also clear that both volunteers and donors are essential to the continued existence of this sector. Much of the research that has been done on volunteers and donors has focused on the demographic differentiation of contributors and non-contributors. Demographic findings are important in identifying potential volunteers and donors. However, managers must also know what factors influence these individuals to better utilize both the contributors and the limited resources of the nonprofit organization. The purpose of this study is to advance the field of nonprofit management by increasing what is known about volunteer and donor behavior. Specifically, this study seeks to understand why some people only contribute money to nonprofit organizations, while others only contribute time, and yet a third group, identified as “helpers” in this study, contributes both money and time. Such an increase in knowledge will benefit nonprofit managers.