Funds raised from philanthropic giving have become a key element in the long-term finances of higher education institutions around the world, presenting leaders, primarily principals, with a range of novel challenges that have not, hitherto, been key drivers of leadership. This article explores the problem by reporting on qualitative research that…

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…

This article examines the workings of Hampton Institute's external relations program to show how the school developed loyal supporters and donors. By 1900, Hampton was the wealthiest school for African Americans, and its philosophy--stressing vocational education and forsaking political equality--was at its most influential during this time,…

Alumni's engagement and contributions are mission-critical to a university. Alumni's role can be both financial as well as engagement in promoting and supporting the university's vision, mission, and operations. In the case of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), alumni members also play a significant key role in communicating the…

It is a well-established principle that being asked to contribute has a significant effect on the frequency and level of philanthropic behavior. This brief summarizes data from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey about advancement investment, specifically fundraising and…

Colleges and universities across the nation rely heavily on donations from private individuals, especially with the decline in government funding, to supplement operational budgets and support student financial aid. The purpose of this study is to determine if the (a) age, (b) gender, (c) race/ethnicity, (d) marital status, (e) academic…

The present study presents a formal model of the dynamics of a university's reputation that points to the existence of a snowball effect where alumni donations raise a university's reputation, which in turn generates additional alumni donations. Given that econometric results presented in this study confirm the model's main findings, supporting a…

As fundraising has become a key component of American public school music educators' professional responsibilities, in many places, parent organizations have taken an increasingly outsized role in raising private funds to supplement public school music budgets. The purpose of this study was to understand the finances of public school music…

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…

The Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) annual survey has collected data on fundraising outcomes in higher education institutions in the United States. It is regarded as the definitive source of information on philanthropic support of those institutions. Data from the survey are used to estimate total charitable support of all institutions of…

This is a quantitative research study designed to understand internal and external variables that influence annual fund performance at international schools. The study examined 1365 international school websites for financial data and found a sample of 69 institutions that had annual fund giving data that were publicly available. These 69 annual…

This is the second year that the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey--the longest-running and most-comprehensive survey of charitable giving to U.S. higher education institutions--has been under the auspices of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The brief that follows outlines basic findings from the 2019 survey,…

Amid waning public financial support for Extension program offerings, highly strategic and professional fund-raising practices are necessary for gaining momentum among private philanthropists and closing the fiscal gap. University of Missouri Extension conducted a precampaign survey that invited feedback from stakeholders to inform Extension…

Many critics consider public institution presidents' compensation to be excessive, while others argue the money yields a return on investment in private fundraising and state appropriations. Our study asks whether presidential compensation at public, four-year institutions is associated with increased institutional revenue from state…

Scholars have long documented the intersection between social identity and experiences within higher education. However, we know very little about the role of social identity in shaping alumni engagement with their alma mater, specifically through philanthropic giving. Building upon social identity and social distance theories and the…