Reconnoitering antecedents of donation intention in donation crowdfunding campaigns: a mediating role of crowdfunding readiness

Donation crowdfunding is a type of crowdfunding wherein the funders donate funds in order to support a particular project through the internet (crowdfunding website/platform) acting as the medium. It is based on pure philanthropic motives with no expectations of any reward or return. In this study, we intend to explore the antecedents that drive a funder’s intention to contribute in donation crowdfunding campaigns in India by investigating the impact of identified factors on a funder’s intention to donate. For the study, a survey was conducted on funders using a 5-point Likert Scale through a structured questionnaire. The identified constructs determining the funder’s intention to donate were perceived project integrity, fundraiser’s credibility, funder’s social influence, crowdfunding readiness, funder’s self-efficacy, crowdfunding platform reputation, and funder’s empathy. The findings of the study reveal that all the identified constructs significantly affect the funder’s intention to donate in donation crowdfunding campaigns. Moreover, crowdfunding readiness partially mediates the relationship between the identified factors (except for the funder’s social influence) and intention to donate.