Motives for and Against Engagement in Charity by Older Adults. Empirical Evidence from Poland

Research background Engagement in charity by society appears to be a vital issue. It is crucial due to the limited resources available for non-profit organizations. Older adults seem to be one of the groups that can support the non-governmental sector and may be involved in charity. The number of older people is dramatically growing worldwide, however, in comparison to the previous generation, the latest older generation is much healthier, better educated, and expressing their readiness to sacrifice for others. Purpose The aim of the research is to determine the motives for and against charity engagement of older adults in Poland by identifying the psychological, socio-cultural, and economic motives, and defining the demographic, social, and economic factors differentiating the charity behavior of older Polish people. Research methodology A consumer survey using the CAWI technique among 320 older adults enrolled at third-age universities across Poland was implemented. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed. Results The psychological motive for and against providing charity concerns sensitivity to the harm of others, the economic motive refers to sharing with others and the socio-cultural one is the hope to receive support in the future. Older adults with higher education and living in large towns are more prone to engage in charity in Poland. Novelty The research sheds new light on the latest generation of older adults and their motives for and against charity engagement. It reveals the sorts of factors that differentiate the motives for and against the charitable activities of older adults in Poland. The research outcomes support NGOs in encouraging older generations to contribute to those in need on a larger scale and shift older adults from beneficiaries to active donors.