Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) emerged in the early 19th century as a response to racial segregation and exclusion that characterized American postsecondary education. Of the 105 HBCUs, 47 are closely affiliated with a Black Church whose fundraising capability exceeded that of the HBCU. A decline in federal and state support…

This dissertation examines the purposes of annual giving fundraising programs at public higher education institutions, particularly whether this fundraising format supports the advancement of education as a public good versus a private benefit good. While research exists on large-gift philanthropy and major gift fundraising at colleges and…

Decreasing financial health damages an organization's reputation and economic viability to survive. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) leaders must strive to improve their financial health to protect their institution's reputation and risk of closure. Grounded in strategic enrollment management theory, the purpose of this…

This study explored the drivers for Long Beach City College alumni, a 2-year California community college (CCC), to engage with and donate to their alma mater. Due to the widespread decline in enrollment post-COVID-19 pandemic, institutions face increasing financial insecurity. They must now explore new funding streams. By modeling the success of…

Colleges and universities have increasingly turned to fundraising as an opportunity to meet short- and long-term goals of the institution without increasing tuition and adding to the student loan burden. As a result, there is increased competition among institutions and non-profits to appeal to the motivations of donors to support their…

This study provided Radford University with an opportunity to better understand the motivating behaviors of faculty and staff while distinguishing the strategies that influence their interest in giving or choosing not to give. In this study, I used a mixed-methods approach for data collection to answer my research questions and to inform the…

The changing financing model for public institutions of higher education has brought into focus the importance of alumni fundraising and the factors that increase the likelihood of giving. Recognizing these dynamics, higher education leaders are increasingly implementing what are known as high-impact practices into the student experience with the…

The purpose of this study was to understand the strength of the relationship between commitment, trust, satisfaction, involvement, and stewardship activities and donor retention as measured by lapsed giving, repeat giving, increased giving, and planned giving. The goal of the study was to support with data the key variables that impact donor…

This dissertation aims to explore the donor characteristics at a large southern public doctoral granting university. The goal is to better understand alumni donor motives and the changing intrinsic needs of the donor across generations. Economic and philosophical theories including Social Exchange Theory, Warm Glow, and Recognition Theory will be…

Public Administration scholars have longstanding interest in the ways organizations, groups, individuals and processes influence governance. Dwindling state and federal government support for public universities have left them to rely on private contributors and this growing third-party influence on state government's delivery of higher education…

Little research has uncovered clear results on why post-secondary alumni give or which alumni might be more inclined to give. The most significant predictor of future giving for alumni to their alma mater is past giving (Okunade and Justice, 1991). This creates an unfortunate situation for today's post-secondary leader, where they need to be more…

In current higher education fundraising models where alumni are aligned with their degree-granting unit, the academic library struggles to match the fundraising outcomes of its campus peers. A survey of seventy-nine fundraisers in academic libraries collected data on fundraising activity. It reveals common practices amongst fundraisers working in…

The education of postsecondary students has become an increasingly cost-intensive enterprise, and many higher education institutions are now reliant on philanthropic support to meet their financial needs. Higher education advancement offices face mounting pressure to perform at extraordinary levels. Magnifying the urgency of the work, colleges and…

A historic period of state divestment in public higher education, exacerbated by the "Great Recession" and attendant financial repercussions, has significantly altered public higher education financing. The most significant impact has been cost shift from the state to students via increasing tuition rates. These changes threaten student…

The active participation of alumni is necessary for the long-term health of institutions of higher education. Alumni contribute financially to higher education institutions by sharing their time and talents. Recently, a small private University in Macao initiated an alumni mentoring pilot program to engage alumni. However, it is unclear what the…