AZAC AZAC AN EXAMINATION OF ATTITUDES TOWARD ATHLETES' PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATIONS AND THEIR TEAMS.

This study sought to establish if there was an attitudinal relationship between the philanthropic foundations of professional athletes and the team of those same athletes. A convenience sample of fans (n = 201) responded to a 61-item online questionnaire. The results indicate attitudes toward an athlete's philanthropic foundation influenced the attitudes toward the athlete's team. Additionally, awareness of the philanthropic foundations and the team's philanthropic efforts were found to positively influence attitudes toward the corresponding organization. Findings related to identification revealed athlete identification moderated the relationship between awareness of the athlete's philanthropic foundation and attitudes toward the foundation, while team identification moderated the same relationship with the team's philanthropic efforts. These results suggest sport organizations should look to strategically invest resources to ensure the success of such philanthropic ventures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]