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…

This study explored foundation giving in the field of higher education philanthropy in Texas. Utilizing Fligstein and McAdam's conceptual framework, I found that a field-level analysis at the state level uncovered distinct profiles or groups of foundations hidden in the observed data over time. Texas was an interesting case because of its legal…

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…

Community colleges educate nearly 50% of students who complete a degree at a four-year university. Yet, California community college funding remains lower than per student funding for the UC, CSU, and K-12 systems. Community college non-profit 501(c)3 foundations provide the opportunity to generate millions in support of their colleges, and yet…

With roots going back to the early 1830s and up to today, African-Americans continue to choose Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) for their post-secondary education needs. To understand the fundraising strategies utilized at HBCUs, this dissertation examines the efforts of a targeted group of HBCU presidents who have excelled in…

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…

Intercollegiate athletic departments encounter unique challenges as organizational units of higher education. Among these challenges is generating revenue to support the rising expenses of operating programs, funding coaches' salaries, and investing in facilities. Many athletics departments generate revenue by fundraising through donor-based…

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…

Philanthropy in higher education consists of gifts of financial funding from individuals, alumni, community advocates, parents, private companies, businesses, or foundations, to support a spectrum of items including scholarships, fellowships, academic programs, professorships, research, or development. In the 21st century, most public and 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…

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…

Charitable giving has been a critical resource for higher education dating back to the Academy of Socrates and Plato. It continued through the establishment of Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and Yale, and in 2020, American higher education institutions received $49.6 billion of private support to fund scholarship, programs, and facilities (CASE,…

Institutions of higher education are partially funded by philanthropic gifts to support various initiatives on campus ranging from student scholarships, specific programmatic needs, construction, and everything in between. As Generation Z becomes the predominant generational cohort graduating from colleges and universities, advancement teams must…

This research study sought to better understand what motivates and influences young alumni to engage with their alma mater. For many development and alumni relations departments, alumni have become a source of private funding to assist in the decreased burden of tuition and the cost of attending college. Frequently, alumni who are reached out to…

Higher education, like most charitable organizations, is dependent on alumni funding as donors pour a tremendous amount of dollars into these organizations. However, the nature of donor involvement in higher education institutions has evolved over the last four centuries. The generational change of the donor base from the Boomers to the…