Breaking Stereotypes About Alumni Donors

Who Gives First? A Discrete-Time Hazard Model

Bibliographic Data

ID9009301
AuthorsChase D McNamee (Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA, corresponding author), Noah D Drezner (0000-0002-5586-8734, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA)
Year2021
Volume93
Issue2
Pages220-247
Publication date2021-09-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-1546 • E-ISSN: 1538-4640
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00221546.2021.1964918
OpenAlexW3199651438
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited51

Institutions of higher education are relying on philanthropy and fundraising at a greater level than ever before seen. This increased focus has led scholars to investigate various predictors regarding which alumni are likely to give and which are likely to give the most. To date, however, scholars have not yet examined the role of timing and when alumni give their first gift to their alma mater. Using discrete-time hazard modeling (DTHM), this paper seeks to re-center the current conversation surrounding educational philanthropy by exploring not simply who gives the most, but rather who gives and when. Using data of alumni from a predominantly White, private-research university in the United States (n = 3,404), we find that those alumni who were in cultural clubs, as well as Black and multi-racial alumni, are more likely to give their first gift at an earlier date than other alumni. Additionally, alumni that participated in fewer student activities while at school appear more likely to give their first gift sooner, while gender, income, and alumni activity participation show no significance in the model. This study upends some commonly held stereotypes of who are donors to higher education. We share implications for practice and future research

Alma mater · Conversation · Demographic economics · Economics · Hazard · Higher education · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · White (mutation · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Higher Education Governance and Development · Higher Education Research Studies · Law · Psychology

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