Financial Management and Charitable Giving in Gay and Lesbian Households

In: Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly: journal of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, Volume 47, Issue 4, p. 836-855

Abstract

To date, most charitable giving research assumes that all households are heterosexual and that couples make giving decisions from joint financial resources. This study examines household financial management and charitable decision making among a purposeful sample of 19 gay and lesbian couples. Semistructured joint interviews were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory techniques. The study finds that same-sex couples practice financial management systems that preserve independence (independent and partial-pooling systems), in contrast to different-sex couples, who favor joint management. These systems yield more accounts from which charitable giving can occur. Same-sex couples' giving does not always follow the household's financial management structure, and many couples give both jointly and separately. Finally, some same-sex couples use their giving as a way to give lesbian, gay, and bisexual people visibility and recognition as supporters of mainstream (non-LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender]) organizations. Future research should consider both sexual orientation and financial management practices in understanding charitable behavior.