The China NonProfit Review Vol.13 No.1&2_CNPR article 3

How Situational Cognition, Communication Behaviour and Public Trust of NPOs Affect Individual Donation Intention: The Case of Anti-COVID-19 in China

Zhou Runan & Liu Sijia*

Abstract：By investigating the relationship between information dissemination behaviour, public trust in NPOs and individual donation, this study seeks to expand our knowledge of individuals’ donation behaviour in NPOs’ charitable crowdfunding. Through an online quantitative study nationwide from April to July in 2020, we find that the public’s situational cognition has a great impact on their information dissemination behaviour, and the public’s trust in NPOs plays a moderating role in the interaction between information dissemination and donation behaviour. For academia, this study helps to better understand the individuals’ decision-making behind donation. Our model can help researchers understand individuals’ philanthropic behavior by providing empirical explanations for the relationship between information dissemination behaviour, public trust in NPOs and individuals’ donation behavior. For practitioners, the research suggests appropriate design, launch, and operation strategies to facilitate individuals’ donation behavior in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19; Public Situation Theory; Individual Donation; Non-profit Organization; Communication Behaviour

* Zhou Runan, associate professoar at the School of Communication and Design, Sun Yat-sen University; Liu Sijia, graduate student at School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University.

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