Tracing the Impact of Media Relations and Television Coverage on U.S. Charitable Relief Fundraising: An Application of Agenda-Setting Theory across Three Natural Disasters

Abstract

Fundraising practitioners have often expressed the desire to gain media coverage of their nonprofit organization because it will result in increased donations. Although this folklore is commonly believed by many fundraisers, there is little evidence to support this claim. This study uses the agenda-setting theory as the framework to test whether television news coverage of 3 natural disasters and the nonprofit organizations working to provide charitable relief in wake of the events results in increased donations to the nonprofit organizations. Using the 2004 Asian tsunami, 2005's Hurricane Katrina, and the 2010 Haitian earthquake to test the public's response to relief efforts, the study found little support for increased donations to the 5 leading organizations providing relief in relation to generic news coverage of the disasters. However, when the organizations were specifically mentioned by reporters in the newscasts, noticeable same-day spikes were seen in donations to the organizations’ fundraising efforts. Similarly, when organizations were able to place spokespeople in the newscast to talk about their efforts, increased donations resulted from these proactive media relations efforts.

Notes

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