Factors Influencing Nonprofit Resource Provider Support Decisions: Applying the Brand Equity Concept to Nonprofits

This exploratory research examines the influence of antecedent factors on resource provider (volunteers and donors) based brand equity for a nonprofit organization. The study, utilizing a telephone survey, applies brand equity for the first time to the nonprofit sector and provides initial empirical evidence of the multidimensional influence of brand personality, brand image, and brand awareness antecedents of the resource providers’ biased decision to support the nonprofit organization after controlling for the influence of altruistic volunteerism. This extension of the branding literature is adapted from the much more common customerbased conceptualizations of Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993). The results suggest an opportunity fornonprofits to compete for these vital resources by nurturing and leveraging the antecedent factors which create resource provider based brand equity.