Individual Cultural Values and Charitable Crowdfunding: Driving Social Sustainability Through Consumer Engagement

Anna Napiórkowska, Piotr Zaborek (), Marzanna Katarzyna Witek-Hajduk and Anna Grudecka
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Anna Napiórkowska: Department of International Business, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, al. Niepodległości 162, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland
Piotr Zaborek: Department of International Business, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, al. Niepodległości 162, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland
Marzanna Katarzyna Witek-Hajduk: Department of International Business, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, al. Niepodległości 162, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland
Anna Grudecka: Department of International Business, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, al. Niepodległości 162, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-26

Abstract: Background: Charitable crowdfunding platforms have become widely used tools for raising funds to support social and humanitarian causes. As participation in these platforms is voluntary, understanding the influence of individual motivations and cultural values is essential, particularly when engaging donors across culturally diverse regions. Within the framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explores whether consumers’ cultural orientations influence their motivations and levels of engagement in charitable crowdfunding. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey using the Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) method from 680 participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the effects of three cultural dimensions—collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance—on charitable giving behavior, including their interactions with intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Results: Collectivism was found to positively predict charitable giving, while uncertainty avoidance had a negative effect. Power distance showed a mixed influence, depending on the underlying motivational factors. Comparative analysis revealed significant regional differences, particularly between respondents from the Americas and Europe, in the strength and nature of these relationships. Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of integrating cultural factors into digital fundraising strategies and offer new insights into how individual cultural values shape prosocial behavior in online crowdfunding environments.

Keywords: crowdfunding digital platforms; charitable giving motivations; cultural values; consumer behavior; social sustainability; corporate foundations; NGOs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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