Social network analysis reveals increasing centralization of donor–beneficiary ties in local philanthropy, suggesting risks to sector diversity and inclusivity.
Key Points
To examine structural shifts in local philanthropic ecosystems and track changes in donor–beneficiary relationships from 2015 to 2022.
Applied social network analysis to map philanthropic donor–beneficiary connections in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina across the 2015–2022 period.
Treated donations as relational ties to assess structural metrics including network centralization, density, and cliquishness rather than tracking financial volume.
Network centralization increased significantly across both countries, concentrating philanthropic activity around fewer central entities.
Overall connections expanded over time, but dense collaborative clusters failed to strengthen uniformly, indicating potential marginalization of smaller groups.