Vertrauen und Unterstützung durch Reputation

Non-profit organisations (NPO) play an important role e.g. for social services, environment protection and development aid. To fulfil this role, NPO depend on the support of civil society - in terms of donations, volunteering or goodwill.
Trust toward NPOs is an important prerequisite for supportive behaviour to arise. The example of fundraising charities makes clear, that reputation is an important mechanism to engender potential supporters' trust towards NPO.
However, emotions and values play a crucial role for the relationship between a NPO and its supporters, too. Firstly, they foster identification between an organisation and its target groups. Secondly, they may help to build and protect goodwill even in the face of a negative reputation. The study combines basic knowledge with empirical research and implications for practitioners.