Why do people give? : philanthropy in higher education and health sectors in Lebanon -

Abstract

This research aims at studying the notion of Philanthropy in Lebanon, specifically giving in higher education and healthcare. The study takes several paths; first, a theoretical background on philanthropy bridged with a literature that involves various notions that are closely associated to philanthropy like social recognition and morality. Second, findings and discussions from a number of in-depth interviews conducted with donors reflecting on their reasons and their motives behind giving, as well as the relationship between donations and social values. Third, the study offers statistics, facts, and figures from one of the most prominent institutions of higher education and health in the Arab World, the American University of Beirut (AUB), on giving to educational scholarships and healthcare. This data embodies trends of giving to higher education and healthcare for the past 10 years and it is presented using several criteria like gift designation, geographical location, gender, and giving brackets. Throughout the study, concepts and findings are connected together to form a well-rounded perspective on the notion of giving and its trends. The presence of the motivation theory is essential in this research for explaining the reasons of giving. Moreover, the theory of motivation goes in line with the areas of attitude and social psychology, which is also examined in this study. Philanthropy is also observed within the framework of social values, religious values, and ethics. These notions are discussed through the gathered data, analysis of the findings, and concrete examples from the executed research.