Where Can I Find More Money? How the Challenges of Fundraising Affect Faith-based Organizations

• In Event: 3483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 05. Organizations: Structure and Practice

Abstract

International non-government organizations (INGOs) face a challenge of fundraising. Efforts to raise sufficient funds often create tensions for INGOs when they have to prioritize between their own values and the priorities of potential donors. This tension not only affects whether faith-based organizations (FBOs) accept government funding, but also impacts the religious identity of the organization itself. Little research has addressed how external sources of funding influence religious identity. My research asked the question: How do perceptions of the continuity of resources and value congruence impact the religiosity of FBOs? I found that when FBO leaders perceive their organization’s current stream of resources as unsustainable, they adapt the FBO’s religious identity. My findings apply theories of stakeholder salience and resource dependency; when FBOs can maintain a sustainability of resources then their religiosity also remains constant.

Author

• Katherine Comeau, University of Notre Dame