Virtually Raising the Paddle: Examining the Role of Online Nonprofit Dialogic Stewardship and Identification in the Post-COVID Era

COVID-19 lockdowns required charitable nonprofits to virtually engage donors during restrictions on in-person gatherings, yet limited research has examined how online events convey stewardship. This study aims to understand how virtual events impact donor perceptions and build theory related to dialogic stewardship. A U.S. nationwide survey ( n = 408) was conducted in November 2022 to assess how charitable nonprofit donors perceived stewardship in online virtual events. Those donors who attended virtual events perceived identification and the dialogic stewardship elements of strategic recognition and engagement as stronger than those who did not attend virtual events. When mediated by identification, perceptions of strategic recognition and engagement influenced virtual event attendees to report higher future donation intentions to that nonprofit. Nonprofit practitioners may want to consider virtual galas or webinars and online one-on-one meetings as important ways to enact dialogic stewardship and build feelings of identification with their organization among donor audiences.