The influence of professional athlete philanthropy on donation intentions

Abstract

Athlete-supported charities and foundations have become increasingly popular forms of philanthropy in the professional sport landscape. However, a paucity of research has examined whether the high-profile status of a professional athlete can influence third-party donations to the charitable cause the athlete supports. Based on theory and prior literature, the image of, and identification with, a professional National Basketball Association athlete were hypothesized to influence donation intentions from potential donors in the Orlando, Florida area. In addition, the intervening effects of personal involvement with the athlete's cause and trust toward the athlete were examined. The results suggest that athlete identification, image of the athlete, trust toward the athlete, and cause involvement significantly influenced donation intentions. The results also indicate that athlete trust mediated the relationship between identification, image, and donation intentions. Finally, cause involvement moderated the relationship between identification with, and trust toward, the professional athlete.

Keywords:

• donor behavior
• professional athlete
• non-profit organization
• sport philanthropy