The more you know, the more you give: Influence of online disclosure on European community foundations' donations

Competition is high in the charitable contributions market, and donors demand to know how nonprofit organizations use the money they receive. In scrutinizing the variables that affect the capacity of nonprofits to attract donations, previous research has highlighted the positive influence of the amount of financial and performance information that nonprofits disclose through their websites. This study explored whether the depth of the organizations' online disclosures also affects these donations. In line with existing studies on regression-based economic models of giving, this study considered community foundations-focusing on the United Kingdom and Italy-and its results indicated that managing the depth of the information provided through financial reports can influence donors' sensitivity and willingness to donate.