Context
Research shows that individual donors account for the largest percentage of charitable donations. Of these, members of religious groups make up the largest portion. The goal of the contextual inquiry then was to understand the motives and factors that go into these decisions in the context of a church gathering.
Methods
I attended Sunday Mass at St. Patrick and St. Raphael’s Catholic Church where in addition, to the contextual inquiry I planned, I also conducted a fly on the wall observation of the service. Midway through, baskets were handed out where people could put in donations. I saw a woman sitting nearby put in a couple dollars. After the service, I interviewed her before she left. I recreated the scenario step by step and asked her what she felt and what she was thinking before, during, and after the donation process. Specifically, I asked the following questions:
“What were you thinking about and feeling when you were giving the donation? What was your motivation behind giving?” “What were you thinking about and feeling after the donation?” “Is the church your first”go-to" organization to donate to? If so, please explain? “Do you notice any ripple effects after you donate to the church? How do you feel? Are you more likely to give later on?”
Results
The following quotes were recorded in an effort to reflect the content of our conversation: “I donate to the church because for a long time I lost my way. The church has done a lot for me, and I want to give back so they can help other people find their own path.” “After I give, I feel so much better. It’s a really good feeling.” “The church is one of the main organizations I give to but it is not the only one I would consider.” “After I give, I do notice a ripple effect. If an opportunity arose for me to be charitable, I would want to give in that moment.”
Themes
The conversation reflects the reality that feelings of reward, gratitude, and reciprocity are key motivating factors in the giving process. The feelings of altruism inspired in the woman I interviewed are the result of close personal ties and a sense of loyalty toward the church. They are not the result of long, hard contemplation. Our design will have to navigate the tricky balance of maintaining and encouraging the emotional ties that motivate church goers while encouraging them to be thoughtful in their donation decisions. A church member may feel a personal connection toward their local church and we want to respect and honor their charitable commitment. At the same time, our design should encourage them to explore additional ways to exercise altruism so they may have greater impact. Our design must provide a friendly way to introduce this new way of thinking about the donation process. The feature set should also channel the altruistic energy that our users already have and not discourage the charitable work that they’ve already done. Creating an “on-boarding” experience that is both informative and inviting will be key to our design’s success.