A student pursuing a Master in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at the USC Price School won a “Best Paper Award” for her research into charitable donation behavior in Indonesia. The award was presented to Hafiza Nofitariani and her colleagues at this year’s Southeast Asia International Philanthropy Conference (SEAIPC).
Held this year in Malaysia, the annual conference brings together philanthropy and nonprofit practitioners and scholars from around the world to present their research.
Nofitariani and her fellow researchers surveyed hundreds of donors to examine the giving behavior among different generations, comparing their donation frequency, donation amounts, preferred charities and other habits. The findings can help fundraisers craft strategies to raise money for their charities, said Nofitariani.
“Fundraisers can optimize their campaigns to each generation,” Nofitariani said.
The study, co-authored by Columbia University student Davira Rizky Chairunnisa and Georgia State University student Parlaungan Iffah Nasution, won “Best Paper” for the conference’s Mainstream Philanthropy section, one of three categories at the event.
Their findings include:
- Generation Z donors in Indonesia are interested in donating to religious and health programs; Millennials tend to donate to disaster relief and education programs; Generation X and Boomers are more likely to donate to religious and education programs.
- All Indonesian generations agree that social media is the most influential platform for donation, though older generations also prefer messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, to donate.
- Millennials in Indonesia have the financial means to donate larger amounts of money than other generations.
Nofitariani has worked for nonprofit organizations for nearly a decade, mostly in her native Indonesia. Before studying at the USC Price School, she oversaw digital fundraising at a government charity agency in Indonesia. She shares fundraising advice on her YouTube page and social media channels, where some videos have received thousands of views.
“I find myself interested in learning more about how fundraising and communications can elevate nonprofits in terms of their funding, and then they can deliver their programs well to communities,” she said.
Nofitariani is an asset to the MNLM program and an inspiration to her peers at the USC Price School, said Program Director Regina Birdsell.
“Hafiza brings extensive professional experience and enthusiasm for learning to our program, all the while continuing to produce scholarly work to inform best practices in the sector and pursue enrichment opportunities outside of USC and Los Angeles,” Birdsell said.
Nonprofits are a growing sector in Indonesia, considered one of the world’s most charitable countries, but it lacks formal education for nonprofit work, Nofitariani said. That’s why she enrolled in the USC Price School.
“We learn how to fundraise, how to negotiate with our board members, and how to write for a grant proposal,” she said. “The program at Price really enriches my knowledge and covers everything that we need as nonprofit practitioners.”