Examining the Relationship Between Trust, Credibility, Satisfaction, and Loyalty Among Online Donors

Examining the Relationship Between Trust, Credibility, Satisfaction, and Loyalty Among Online Donors by Belinda Gail Roberson MBA, New York Institute of Technology, 2008 BBA, Wiley College, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University December 2015 Abstract Despite more than $769 million in charitable gifts in 2013, U.S. nonprofit organizations lost $735 million in lapsed and reduced gifts. Donor attrition is a problem for most charitable organizations, and many are using the Internet to cultivate donors. Online communication has become an important part of fundraising for many charitable organizations. The online communication factors in the current study include trust,Despite more than $769 million in charitable gifts in 2013, U.S. nonprofit organizations lost $735 million in lapsed and reduced gifts. Donor attrition is a problem for most charitable organizations, and many are using the Internet to cultivate donors. Online communication has become an important part of fundraising for many charitable organizations. The online communication factors in the current study include trust, credibility, and satisfaction. These factors may affect donor loyalty. Donor loyalty may increase or decrease donor attrition. Reducing donor attrition is important to anyone who plays a role in the success of a nonprofit organization. The purpose of the current crosssectional quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the communication factors and the loyalty among online donors. The theoretical foundation for this study includes Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Luhmann’s social systems theory. Data were collected online from a random sample of online donors aged 18 years or older in the United States. Spearman correlation was used to assess the correlation between the independent and dependent variables. The results indicated there is a correlation between communication factors and loyalty among online donors in the United States. This study may help organizations communicate better with donors in an online environment and reduce online donor attrition. Reducing attrition will increase funding to a charitable organization through repeat donations, thereby helping improve finances to support the organization’s mission and positively influencing societal change. Examining the Relationship Between Trust, Credibility, Satisfaction, and Loyalty Among Online Donors by Belinda Gail Roberson MBA, New York Institute of Technology, 2008 BA, Wiley College, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Management Walden University December 2015 Dedication This paper is dedicated to the first man I ever loved, my father, Bobby Gene Kennon, Sr. Thank you for pushing me to continue my education, and supporting at every hurdle. I regret I did not finish before you left, but I continue as if you are still by my side. Acknowledgments I am grateful to all who took the time to read and review my work. I am especially thankful to Dr. Janice Spangenburg for being willing to step in and help me finish my work. I also thank Dr. Stephen Tippins, Dr. Lawrence Ness, and Dr. David Banner for pushing me to excel, and challenging me to step back and look at the research from different perspectives.