Christianna Parr
PhD Candidate, UW
"Public Support for Environmental NGOs: A Conjoint Experiment in Southeast Asia"
Faculty Discussant:
Margaret Perez Brower, UW
Abstract
The decision to donate to a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization (NGO) is based on a
multitude of factors. In regions, like Southeast Asia, several countries rank highly on global
charity indexes. Furthermore, the region is highly vulnerable to climate change. However,
concerns over funding via Western sources and mismatches between local needs and priorities
set by international NGOs have created a wariness towards some environmental campaigns.
Researchers have not yet investigated the motivations of donors in this region and their
preferences towards environmental NGOs. Utilizing a forced choice conjoint experiment on
a cross-nationally representative sample of Malaysians, Indonesians, and Singaporeans, I
explore how specific organizational attributes influence respondents’ willingness to donate.
I find that donors favor (1) larger NGOs, (2) NGOs that are regionally located, (3) NGOs
with higher shares of women in board positions, (4) NGOs focused on regionally specific
environmental issues, and (5) NGOs that are partnered with regionally relevant organizations
like the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN).