THE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION FROM NGOs’ FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ON CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: EVIDENCE FROM CROATIA

The purpose of this study is to identify data from the financial reports of NGOs that influence donors’ willingness to donate. Using logistic regression, the authors attempt to identify the accounting measures associated with donations among the NGOs in our sample. The study included a sample of 2,981 NGOs in Croatia that use a double-entry accounting system. The results show that several accounting variables have an impact on donations, including organizational size, volunteer staff, revenue concentration, government grants, business-like income, debt ratio and adequacy of equity. The study has some limitations. First, the sample covered mainly large Croatian NGOs. Second, by design, the focus was on a broad sample which includes different types of organizations, so there is the possibility that the effects of organizational and financial characteristics on donations are not equal across the sample of different types of organizations. This study helps to fill the gap in the literature on this topic by examining the relationship between information from NGOs financial reports and giving behaviour. This study also presents new empirical findings from a large sample study from Croatia with a different institutional background. Research results provide new insights into how financial disclosure can meet the needs of donors.