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…

As millions of U.S. citizens began to shelter in their homes due to the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020, another phenomenon began to take shape in the late spring. The murder of George Floyd had been committed and shared widely on the news and social media. As it did, a groundswell of discussions and social activism through a revitalized Black…

This study examined the lived experience of 10 activist teachers at the kindergarten through 12th grade level. All participants were veteran teachers with 10 or more years of public school experience who have come to terms with bureaucratic elements inside the system and yet continue to practice active resistance to policies, practices, and…

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…

This qualitative study explored the influence of racialized lived experiences (RLEs) on equitable decision-making among philanthropic leaders, employing a narrative inquiry approach. It examined how diversity within philanthropy, beyond tokenistic representation, can introduce a wide range of perspectives that enhance equitable decision-making…

This qualitative collective case study aimed to explore that attitudes and perceptions of alumni engagement at a private women's college in the Southeastern United States. A total of thirteen alumni from one of two generational cohorts: baby boomers or millennials, were interviewed and six participated in two focus group sessions. Interviews and…

Performance measurement and research are key components of the operations of philanthropic organizations (both grant-making [GM] and grant-seeking [GS] organizations)--particularly those in the higher education subsector. Both conventionally and historically, performance measurement and research practices have been portrayed as rational tools that…

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…

Multistate networks are arguably the purest expression of the charter sector's original promise as an engine of innovation within the public school system. On its face, this contention may appear somewhat counterintuitive; the proliferation of schools affiliated with charter management organizations (CMOs) that have siphoned market share away from…

Philanthropic support is a vital source of revenue for U.S. higher education institutions, yet training of professional fundraisers is often "ad hoc" and incomplete. Informed by a pragmatic perspective on social science research, this mixed methods exploratory study assesses training needs of major gift officers (MGOs) using Clark and…

The purpose of this concurrent mixed-methods study is to explore the use of student engagement and cocurricular student philanthropy education as an approach to awareness raising and as a mechanism for creating a culture of philanthropy among college students. This dissertation is a synthesis of the review with a consensus that student engagement…

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…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant financial impact on land-grant historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, which have historically faced underfunding by their respective state governments. This study examined the issue of low engagement rates and alumni giving among former…