Determining brand equity of nonprofit organizations: An inquiry of Czech citizens

Abstract The global growth of nonprofit organizations has outpaced available funding and created a crowded space for media attention from the public. As a result, the value brand equity of nonprofit organizations has increased, yet few studies have examined this trend, particularly in developing countries or countries where civil societies are evolving but the professionalization of nonprofit sectors lags, as in former Soviet Bloc nations. This national study helps fill the latter research gap using a two-step approach with Czech citizens to examine brand awareness, trust, and commitment using the nonprofit brand equity index of Czech nonprofits. It mostly replicates a German study conducted by Boenigk and Becker (2016) using the same index. Results reveal that Czech citizens have an interest in being informed about how their donations are used, reflecting the often-referenced lack of transparency of Czech nonprofit organizations and donor mistrust. One third of the study’s participants could not name at least one nonprofit organization, confirming the timeliness of this study and the need for further investigation of the political, social, and economic factors behind brand equity. Such knowledge will be helpful in studying it further to inform recommended practices in strategic marketing.