Employment-Related Geographic Mobility (E-RGM), Place Attachment, and Philanthropy: Interconnections and Implications for Rural Community Well-Being in Newfoundland and Labrador

Rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) are home to diverse individuals that are often deeply connected to their communities and province, living within a landscape of dramatic coastlines and boreal ecosystems. However, these communities have faced numerous challenges and changes related to employment and local economies since the 1992–93 cod fishing moratorium, including a rise in employment-related geographic mobility (E-RGM). This paper recognizes the emergent potential of local, place-based philanthropy (in the form of monetary donations and volunteerism) as a strategy to overcome identified socio-economic challenges and to build resilience in rural communities. This paper considers the research question: What is the relationship between philanthropy and community wellbeing (CWB) in rural regions experiencing heightened place attachment and participation in E-RGM? We draw on prevailing arguments from existing scholarly literature that assert that with heightened place attachment, engagement in philanthropic activity increases, which in turn fosters CWB and development. However, when considering E-RGM, this relationship becomes more complicated due to demanding schedules and nuanced attachments to multiple places. We conclude that while place attachment increases the likelihood that someone will engage in E-RGM instead of relocating permanently, many mobile workers participating in E-RGM donate less money than locally-employed workers and volunteer less. Mobile workers also demonstrated a greater diversity in the organizations receiving their donations outside the local community versus locally employed workers whose donations largely remained within their communities.