Republican vs. Democrat 2012

(Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)


Republicans’ moral foundations are embedded in respect for authority and traditions, loyalty and purity - so says Rice University Professor Vikas Mittal, co-author of the research paper, which will be published next month in the International Journal of Research in Marketing.



The team devised a unique test to plumb political bias in philanthropic action. They crafted slightly different descriptions of a single charity, Rebuilding Together, which creates affordable homes for low income families. They found that Republicans were three times more likely to part with their money when Rebuilding Together was described as "supporting working American families following traditions and supporting their communities." On the flip side, Democrats were twice as likely to kick in when the organization was described as "ensuring the protection of a home to every individual."

The research adds to two additional studies looking at attitudes around children's charities. Focusing on the participants who value morals highly, the researchers found that when the charity description emphasized protection from harm, Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to donate. But when the charity description emphasized purity and loyalty to community, Republicans were more likely than Democrats to give their money.


It's an interesting study and one that fundraising charities should keep in mind, particularly when approaching prospects for major gifts. However, I also believe - based on my own experience - that political beliefs often melt away in real-life philanthropic situations where there's a high degree of human empathy with a cause. In other words, when faced with starving children or battered women or the victims of war or disaster, the human qualities of the need - and how that story is told - generally trumps a donor's political ideology. I've seen major Republican political donors give heavily to social services agencies in order to strengthen the safety net and help people in need - and I've seen Democrats give to charities that stress market-based solutions to lifting communities out of poverty.

The Rice study, I think, reflects the idea that people's charitable impulse is grounded (at least to some degree) in their own image of themselves - or their better selves. Yet I've seen time and time again that a strong human interest story coupled with the prospect of making real change with their money has led to major philanthropic commitments...regardless of party affiliation.


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