“We’re so sorry – yes we really are”: optimal apology strategies for errant fundraising charities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the strengths of the influences of certain factors potentially contributing to an effective apology for a fundraising charity. Four motivational forces possibly affecting public acceptance of an apology issued by a charity are explored, i.e. persuasion knowledge activation, a viewer’s regulatory focus, trait forgiveness and scepticism regarding charity advertising. Design/methodology/approach Texts for two apologies (one based on expressions of guilt, the other on expressions of shame) were created for a fictitious international aid charity, some field workers of which had engaged in child abuse. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 777 members of the public containing one or other of the apologies. Findings A good match between a participant’s regulatory focus and the regulatory focus of an apology significantly improved the likelihoods of the apology being “liked” and accepted. Nevertheless, the quality of the match had no impact on a person’s inclination to donate to the organisation. Trait forgiveness and donation history significantly influenced liking and acceptance of an apology, but not inclination to donate. Originality/value Although past studies have examined the roles of apologies within the communication management activities of commercial organisations, research into the effectiveness of apologies by fundraising nonprofits has been sparse. Outcomes to the present investigation offer insights into how charity managers can best apologise for a fundraising nonprofit organisation’s errant behaviour.