Historically Black college and university (HBCU) leaders lack strategies to enlist and retain donations from alumni to support long-term sustainability. HBCU leaders are concerned with developing and implementing strategies for enlisting and retaining alumni donations. Grounded in resource dependency theory, the purpose of this qualitative case…

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…

Advancement teams have a pivotal role in bridging the ever-widening gap in funding for higher education institutions. As this gap continues to expand, these teams have emerged as increasingly prominent players to raise philanthropic support. This research study is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of their engagement strategies and gaining a…

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…

Planned giving is a critical source of funding for higher education institutions. Smaller institutions receive fewer of these gifts in comparison to larger research institutions of higher education. Higher education leaders have recognized these benefits and suggest that these gifts would create a substantial opportunity for changes in smaller…

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…

Philanthropy does not exist without democracy in civil society in America. Higher education is a major builder of a civil society. The central research question is: What do university presidents need to know about philanthropy to provide relational leadership supportive of the advancement of democracy in American civil society? The study…

Alumni giving is a critical revenue stream for Christian liberal arts colleges that originated as Bible institutions. This dissertation presents an in-depth case study of alumni donation patterns, focusing on how the transition from Bible colleges to liberal arts institutions has influenced giving behaviors. The study examines demographic factors…

This qualitative case study explored the LGBTQ+ allyship affiliations of 16 participants, and their motivations for giving within a higher education and state-funded institution setting. The study utilized a primary theoretical framework, identity-based motivation, and two secondary frameworks, philanthropic mirroring, and identity-based…

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…

The study explored the impact of motivations and organizational ethos on foundation giving to small colleges and universities seeking to enhance funding streams and educational opportunities within these institutions. Employing a qualitative research approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with former foundation executives to delve…

With community colleges struggling with the completion rates of their students, it is important to understand the social and academic integration of community college students and their relationships to retention and completion. Research focuses on the critical role of internal college actors such as faculty, staff, and students in these…

Transformational philanthropic gifts to American universities have dramatically increased in number, size and scope over the past 20 years. During the past ten years, the proliferation of these gifts, defined in this study as $50 million or more, has been especially profound. While such gifts have become almost commonplace at many elite private…

With the decrease in enrollment and increase in cost over the past decade, private colleges and universities have experienced financial hurdles, requiring the need to raise private funds. The financial viability of these colleges and universities depends upon the ability of university presidents to raise money. However, challenges must be overcome…