Peer Reviewed Articles

• Abhishek Bhati and Diarmuid McDonnell (2025).”Message Content and Diversity as an Effective Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy on Social Media.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. Link
  Abstract

  This article explores the relationship between solicitation messages posted by nonprofit organizations on their Facebook profile and attracting donations during online fundraising events. Recent studies suggest that certain types of messages are more effective at spurring donors to give, but the evidence base is founded mainly on experimental designs. We use observational data for 752 nonprofits that participated in one or both of the Omaha Gives fundraising events in 2015 and 2020. Using the total amount of money donated to each organization as our outcome, we find nonprofits that post more diverse solicitation messages raise more money during online fundraising events. Consistent with previous studies, social media network size and activity (likes, posts, and shares) are once again important factors in explaining fundraising success. Our results provide deeper insights into the nuances of social media strategies for attracting donors and raising funds.

• Abhishek Bhati and Andrew Burk (2024). “The Landscape of Community-Based Giving Days in the United States.”The Foundation Review. Link
  Abstract

  No abstract here

• Ma, Yinglin, Erynn Beaton, and Abhishek Bhati (2022).”Sexual Harassment Policies in Nonprofits. Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Link
  Abstract

  The nonprofit sector strives to be a virtuous and transparent space, one that is diverse, inclusive, and welcoming. Still, inappropriate and exclusionary behaviors can and do occur in nonprofits—one of which is sexual harassment (SXH). Currently, little research on SXH in the nonprofit sector exists, and even less is known about the steps taken by nonprofits to protect their employees and stakeholders from SXH. This study examines rates of SXH policy adoption among nonprofits and the relationship between SXH policy adoption and organizational characteristics. Drawing from a state-wide survey, we find that there is wide variation among nonprofits in their adoption of a written SXH policy. Organizations that have full-time employees, more revenue, and greater capacity are more likely to have a policy. Organizations that serve women are no more likely to have a policy; however, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-serving organizations are more likely to have a policy. We discuss the implications of these results, including the conceptualization of SXH as part of the broader issues of discrimination, harassment, and bullying in nonprofits.

• Bhati, Abhishek (2022).”What can Postcolonial Theory Contribute to the Study of Social Equity?”Public Administration Review. Link
  Abstract

  There is a unanimous agreement among scholars that social equity scholarship is essential to the study of public administration. One area of weakness in the social equity literature is its inability to develop a theoretical understanding of the complexities of race, gender, and ethnicity. This viewpoint addresses the call of Pandey, Bearfield, and Hall (2022), arguing “concept of race in public administration remains woefully undertheorized” by exploring key tenets of Postcolonial theory. Postcolonial theory can bolster social equity literature by providing a much-needed theoretical framework to systematically understand the marginalization and subordination of people of color for centuries through representation, production of knowledge, and power. The postcolonial theory also challenges the portrayal of all non-White minorities as one collective hegemonic identity and, therefore, can provide a sound theoretical grounding to social equity scholarship.

• Bhati, Abhishek (2021). “Is the Representation of Beneficiaries by International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) Still Pornographic?” Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing. Link
  Abstract

  This paper examines how beneficiaries are represented by International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) to attract potential donors' attention and if such representations stereotype people of color living in developing countries. The study draws on the multi-level methodological approach to understand the content and overall meaning of 320 photos from the 32 largest INGOs operating in the United States. Findings suggest that INGOs still portray beneficiaries stereotypical and thereby reinforcing colonial narratives of “Othering” by an overwhelming representation of single mothers, infants, and girls, and few representations of men and families; and greater emphasis on deliberately positive representation.

• Bhati, Abhishek (2021).”What Implicit Racial Bias has got to do with Giving? Learnings from Fundraising Experiment.”
  VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. Link
  • Won Best Paper Award in VOLUNTAS for the Year 2020.
  • Selected Press: The Conversation.
  Abstract

  This article explores the relationship between implicit (unconscious) color bias and giving by answering the research question: How does a donor’s implicit color biases affect giving to beneficiaries living in developing countries? The study draws from a fundraising survey consisting of 750 participants measuring their implicit biases using the Skin-tone Implicit Association Test (IAT) and their willingness to give along with their sociodemographic data. The findings show higher implicit color biases reduce the probability of giving a higher donation (more than $10). The results provide important new evidence about the negative relationship between implicit color bias and giving and highlight ethical concerns regarding the portrayal of beneficiaries in fundraising advertisements..

• Bhati, Abhishek and Ruth Hansen (2020). “A Literature Review of Studies in Fundraising Using Experimental Methods.” Journal of Behavioral Public Administration. Link
  Abstract

  This paper extends previous literature reviews focusing on fundraising and the mechanisms motivating charitable giving. We analyze 187 experimental research articles focusing on fundraising, published in journals across diverse disciplines between 2007-2019. Interest in studying fundraising spans many disciplines, each of which tends to focus on different aspects, supporting earlier claims that fundraising has no single academic “home.” Most of the literature focuses on two key areas: the philanthropic environment in which fundraising occurs, largely focused on potential donors’ experiences, preferences, and motivations; and testing fundraising tactics and techniques that result in different behavior by potential donors. More than 40% of the experiments were published in Economics journals. Correspondingly, topics such as warm glow and mechanisms such as lotteries, raffles, and auctions are well represented. Experimental studies largely omit the practical and the ethical considerations of fundraisers and of beneficiaries. For instance, studies focusing on the identified victim phenomenon often stereotype beneficiaries in order to foster guilt among donors and thereby increase giving. We identify several opportunities for research to examine new questions to support ethical and effective fundraising practice and nonprofit administration.

• Brown, Catherine and Abhishek Bhati (2019). “Growth of Community-Based Giving Days in the United States: The Landscape and Effects.”
  The Foundation Review. Link
  Abstract

  Over the past decade, local and regional community foundations across the United States have adopted “giving days” as a means to build awareness, bolster community pride, and raise money for local nonprofit organizations. Despite the increasing prevalence of giving days, little scholarly research has empirically examined this phenomenon and its impact, particularly at the local and regional levels. To address these gaps, this article shares the findings of a study that examined similarities and differences across communities’ giving days and sought to evaluate the extent to which those days led to more giving at the community level. While the study found that aggregate amounts raised through giving days are increasing, the median amount raised has dropped substantially and the range is widening. Still, there was substantial growth from 2009 through 2016 in the number of giving days in the U.S., raising over $1 billion across counties, cities, and states and thereby growing philanthropy within communities.

• Bhati, Abhishek and Angela M. Eikenberry (2016). “Faces of the Needy: The Portrayal of Destitute Children in the Fundraising Campaigns of NGOs in India.” International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing. Link
  Abstract

  This paper focuses on the portrayal of children in fundraising campaigns by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working in India and answers the following questions: How do children feel about their portrayal in the images of funding campaigns? How do photographers or managers/directors affiliated with NGOs view their portrayal of destitute children? The study draws on data from analysis of images, focus groups with children, and interviews with photographers and campaign managers from NGOs working in different parts of India. Findings suggest that children like to be portrayed as happy and in a “good light”, telling the whole story about their lives but that also generates awareness about hardships they face, such as child labor; NGOs face a challenge in representing beneficiaries in a good light while also showing “need” to donors; and children interviewed were unaware of the purpose of the images as a fundraising and marketing tool, raising ethical concerns.

• Bhati, Abhishek and Mathew J. Manimala (2011). “Talent Acquisition and Retention in Social Enterprises.”Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues. Link
  Abstract

  Over the years there has been a phenomenal growth in the number of social enterprises in India. This is partly a consequence of a new policy of the government to gradually withdraw from social development activities. The gap thus created is being filled by social enterprises. A social enterprise can be a for-profit or not-for-profit venture engaged in income-generating activities with an agenda of bringing positive change in the society. While social enterprises are engaged in the development of people, it is rather paradoxical that they experience a variety of problems with respect to the management of human resources within their enterprises. It is common knowledge that social enterprises perennially struggle with various critical human resources issues such as getting employees at low rates of compensation, providing growth opportunities for employees within the organization, retaining talent especially in the middle management, providing clearly defined roles and tasks to employees, leading to high attrition and increasing the cost of acquiring and training new employees. Thus, it becomes critical for social enterprises to think out-of-the-box and try a variety of innovative strategies to overcome these problems. This paper discusses a few such innovative HR strategies adopted by social enterprises to attract and retain talent, such as offering jobs to people with vision and value congruence, enhancing the credibility of the organization through brand building, providing opportunities for personal growth, creating a sense of ownership among employees through participation in decision making, creating sense of ownership among employees by giving equity shares, creating entrepreneurial opportunities within the organization, finding employees from among beneficiaries, attracting employees to serene lifestyle in peaceful and scenic location and providing attractive fringe benefits to the employees. Collectively these strategies seem to suggest that social enterprises adopt a 'partnership paradigm' for managing their employees.

Peer Reviewed Book Chapters

• Bhati, Abhishek and Angela M. Eikenberry (2023).
  “A Critical Fundraising Perspective: Understanding the Beneficiary Experience. The Fundraising Reader”.

• Bhati, Abhishek and Ruth Hansen.“A Critical Fundraising Perspective: Understanding the Beneficiary Experience. The Fundraising Reader”.

• Bhati, Abhishek and Angela M. Eikenberry (2021).
  “Decolonizing International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGOs) Fundraising Narrative.”
  In The Handbook of Critical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizing and Voluntary Action.

• Bhati, Abhishek and Jon Dean (2021).
  “Charity advertising: Visual Methods, Images and Elicitation.”
  In Researching Voluntary Action: Innovations and Challenges.

• Bhati, Abhishek and Angela M. Eikenberry (2019).
  “A Critical Fundraising Perspective: Understanding the Beneficiary Experience.”
  In Reframing Nonprofit Organizations: Democracy, Inclusion, and Social Change.

Policy and Program Evaluation Reports

• “Julia Wang & Abhishek Bhati (2024). Government-Run National Relief Funds in Asia During COVID-19 Pandemic. International Center for Not-For-Profit Law.”
  Link

• “Ohio Nonprofit COVID-19 Survey. A Report of Wave 3 Results.”
  Philanthropy Ohio and Ohio Attorney General. Link

• “Omaha Gives! 2015 Evaluation.”
  Omaha Community Foundation Report. Link

• “Omaha Gives! 2014 Evaluation.”
  Omaha Community Foundation Report. Link

• “Omaha Gives! 2013 Evaluation.”
  Omaha Community Foundation Report. Link