For-Profit Fundraisers Make Nonprofits Market-Focused in Donors’ Eyes
通过在线实验发现，非营利组织雇佣营利性募捐顾问不会显著减少捐款，但会让捐赠者认为该组织更以市场为导向。
The tension between social mission and organizational efficiency in nonprofit organizations is evident in various operational practices, particularly fundraising. In pursuit of greater efficiency, some nonprofits outsource this critical function to professional fundraising consultants, who are often for-profit entities. Prior research on sector stereotypes, however, suggests that the public tends to view business-like or profit-seeking practices in social services negatively. Consequently, hiring for-profit fundraisers may backfire for nonprofits. We test this hypothesis through a preregistered online experiment. The results show that donor contributions did not significantly decrease when a for-profit professional fundraiser represented a nonprofit nursing home, even under an aggressive pricing strategy. However, the use of a for-profit fundraiser led participants to perceive the nonprofit as more market-oriented than the typical nonprofit. We discuss the implications of this shift in public perceptions.