'Family comes first': fundraisers' perspectives on charitable bequests

This exploratory paper examines how fundraisers for charitable organisations in Australia understand influences of charitable giving in the transmission of individual, deceased estates. It utilizes a sub-set of semi-structured interviews conducted as part of a wider study into the place of charitable giving in the intergenerational transfer of wealth. My analysis draws on Mauss’s classic concept of the “‘total’ social phenomena” that underpins the process of gift giving, and on contemporary theory of social capital and trust. The insights of fundraisers suggest that attitudes towards asset transmission and charitable giving are overwhelmingly influenced by expectations of honouring family ties and they are influenced to a far lesser degree by the nature and strength of the relationships individuals have with charitable organisations.