Education Commons^™

By Chameleonic Means; "Trust Based" Philanthropic Relationships, "The Business Of Yes," As Experienced By Black Fundraisers, Novien Yarber

Dissertations

In the wake of society’s reinvigorated consciousness around structural and systemic racism, conversations centering justice, equity, inclusion, access, and cultural diversification are going far beyond political discourse. Contemporary fundraising practices are also challenging antiquated hegemonic ways of philanthropy and are critically examining the practice from within. Among many things, this entails diversifying the historically White-female dominated fundraising workforce. In this, fundraising literature has paid minimal attention to intercultural/cross-racial dynamics as implications of diversification of the fundraiser workforce. Although some research may center fundraisers themselves (relative to their ethical and/or professional standards), this dissertation expands this field of study by offering …

Retention Issues In Nonprofit University Foundations, Sarah Kay

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Turnover of major gift officers (MGOs) within university foundations has been a problem for foundations and their affiliated universities. Turnover of MGOs results in less fundraised dollars, fewer donor-fundraiser relationships, and higher incomings costs. Retention of MGOs is vital for foundations’ success and directly correlates to the overall prosperity of the respective university. The purpose of this descriptive, non-experimental study that utilized a cross-sectional survey design was to examine perceptions of currently employed MGOs, in the interest of determining what was important to them to remain employed at their nonprofit university foundation. Using a web-based survey, data showed MGOs need …

The Effects Of Socio-Personal, Job-Related, And School-Related Factors On The Level Of Financial Support By Alumni Of Higher Education Institutions, Bosede Ozavogu Airhia

Dissertations (2016-Present)

This study presents an examination of the relationship and predictability of selected socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors on the level of financial support by alumni at an historically black college and university (HBCU). In this study, the researcher specifically examined the predictive power of socio-personal, job-related, and school-related factors. These factors consisted of gender, ethnicity, marital status, age, income, occupation, years on the job since graduating, sense of belonging to university, engagement in student activities, and interaction with faculty and staff on the financial support of alumni of an historically black college and university by reviewing data from a modified …

Oklahoma Public Comprehensive Universities: The President’S Role In Financial Management And Fundraising, Mark B. Shields

Journal of Research on the College President

Among the top challenges facing Oklahoma public comprehensive university presidents is the quest for adequate funding of their institutions, including adequate levels of support from state resources. Low levels of public support by the state have become a pattern, rather than an anomaly and statewide reductions in appropriations for higher education funding have had a disproportionate effect on Oklahoma’s public comprehensive universities because they have fewer diversified revenue sources. This pattern has forced presidents to become more adept at budgeting, financial management, fundraising, and finding the resources necessary for their institutions to not only be successful, but to simply survive. …

A Decade In Review: A Systematic Literature Review Of Presidential Engagement In Community College Fundraising, Everrett A. Smith

Journal of Research on the College President

Community college fundraising has grown into a visible area of institutional operations. The college president is perhaps the single most important person in directing and sustaining the use of fundraising activities on campus and, in many cases, the face of the institution. To what extent community college presidents have engaged in fundraising has been explored, but a comprehensive, especially over the past decade, is missing from higher education and community college research. Refereed articles were systematically reviewed to present an overarching lens into empirical research focused on community presidents and institutional fundraising. The study includes a review of more than …

Repositioning Fundraising And Resource Development For A Post-Pandemic Era: A Presidential Challenge And Suggested Directions, Charles P. Ruch

Journal of Research on the College President

As the COVID 19 pandemic subsides, thought unevenly in time and location, its immediate and long-range impact is becoming clearer. Presidents are realizing that institutional life will never completely return to former times. Each institution of higher education will need to reposition for the new era. Guiding their institution in meeting this challenge is the new role for the president. Understanding the landscape and its potential impact to the institution, is a needed first step in leading in the post pandemic era. This study examines current thinking regarding the impact of the pandemic on institutions of higher education. Attention is …

Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Compassion Organizing And The University Advancement Workplace, Christina Marie Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Compassion organizing has been described within positive organizational scholarship as an organization’s response to pain and suffering in organizational behavior and also the ability for organizations to flourish and promote joy and fulfillment in the workplace. Compassion organizing has been examined in organizational life through the four areas of noticing, feeling, acting, and sense-making. Previous research has focused on business and healthcare workplaces and has shown that compassion organizing is both an organizational and interpersonal social process. Because of the limited existing research on compassion organizing in the higher education workplace (and none with respect to the university advancement workplace), …

Promise, Potential, Opportunity: Successful Hbcu Presidential Fundraising Strategies, Felicia D. Blow

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

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 philanthropic enterprise of fundraising for their institutions, achieving success in ways their fellow presidential peers have not. Due to a multitude of issues, HBCUs have historically been underfunded, and many are facing challenges from a resource development perspective. Because of this chronic issue, the area of fundraising strategies …

Generational Giving In Public Higher Education, Christine Bernot

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Competition for donors and dollars between higher education and the non-profit sector has never been greater, with Americans giving nearly $450 billion in philanthropic support to charitable organizations in 2019 (IUPUI, 2020). Alumni of higher education institutions are a natural constituency group with a history of giving back to support student needs and programs.

New research in fundraising for higher education analyzing generational giving behaviors of alumni graduate donors could help universities better understand their giving results and support the innovation of new fundraising strategies and best practices. This quantitative research study used historical giving data to examine the …

An Exploratory Comparative Case Study Of Successful Fundraising Operations At Three Small, Private, Christian Universities, James Edgar Bender

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Literature suggests that the challenges currently facing higher education will continue, increasing the pressure on institutions to discover and cultivate new funding sources outside of the traditional avenues of tuition, room, board, and fees. Through an exploratory comparative case study research design, the characteristics of the fundraising operations of three small, private, faith-based institutions that have proven successful, as measured by their current U.S. News & World Report and Forbes financial ratings, were examined through individual interviews with six employees at each of these three institutions, including the president, vice president of development, senior development staff members and university trustees. …

Becoming A Champion Of Orientation, Gregory V. Wolcott, William J. Reckmeyer, Andrene Kaiwi Connor, Rigoberto Flores

Journal of Research on the College President

New student orientation programs are one of the most important high impact practices for student success. These introductory programs not only empower students to be able to selfidentify how their academic support needs can be met, they also provide the critically important introduction to building social support networks. College presidents must embrace the critical role of new student orientation programs, understand their complexities, and find ways to illustrate the role of these programs to faculty, staff, and students.

Life After Graduation: Current Seniors' Perceptions Of Alumni Engagement And Their Expectations Of The Institution Once They Graduate, Jessica Burns Fugate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alumni participation in the life of an institution is more important now than ever before as state and federal funding continue to shrink and alumni are called on for financial support and to serve as resources for current students. Institutional leaders are hard-pressed to bring in external revenue to bridge the gap as budgets shrink to successfully balance operational costs (Barr & McClellan, 2011), which is done mostly through fundraising efforts targeted toward parents of students, alumni and often current students before they graduate to establish a culture of philanthropy. This need for external revenue increases the necessity for engaged …

Interview Of Fred J. Foley, Jr., Ph.D., Fred J. Foley Ph.D., Jeanmarie Turner

All Oral Histories

Dr. Fred Foley, Jr. was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in December of 1946. His parents were Fred Joseph Foley and Doris Nelson Foley. He moved to the Philadelphia area with his family when he was four years old. He is married, has three children and four grandchildren. He lived in Delaware County growing up. Dr. Foley attended St. Andrew's Grade School and Monsignor Bonner High School for Boys. He attended St. Joseph’s College as an undergrad majoring in Politics. He graduated with a B.A. in Politics in 1968. He attended Princeton University for his Master’s and Ph.D. programs. He graduated …

Development For Department Chairs: Why Fundraising Is Now Part Of The Job, Craig D. Hlavac

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Development in higher education is often used synonymously with fundraising – and many believe both are relegated to the Office of Institutional Advancement and perhaps the Deans. However, the work of development in the contemporary university is quickly becoming everyone’s responsibility – including Department Chairs. While many chairs may have experience in writing grants to bring in revenue, the skills required to work with prospective donors are quite different. This session will provide all chairs with tools and resources focused on fundraising for the academic department. Donor relations, building a relationship with Institutional Advancement, and developing a department-based advisory board …

Factors And Characteristics Of Alumni Role Identity: Implications For Practice In Higher Education Fundraising And Alumni Relations, Jay Le Roux Dillon

Doctoral Dissertations

Now more than ever, colleges and universities are relying on funds raised from alumni to support their operations. At the same time, the percentage of alumni donors is in decline and new research suggests that higher education fundraising strategies are overly reliant on alumni behaviors and demographics as predictors of giving. A 2011 study by McDearmon addressed this issue by establishing a psychometric measure of a graduate’s self-identification with his or her role as an alumnus/a, dubbed “alumni role identity.” Based in role identity theory (Stryker 1968, 1980; Callero, 1985), McDearmon’s research demonstrated that alumni role identity was associated positively …

Who Does What? Tensions Between Deans And Department Heads In Defining Roles, Tammy M. Proctor, Miguel Martinez-Saenz

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The session is designed around three common points of tension between deans and department heads created by the blurring of their roles: 1) fundraising; 2) creating a “vision”; 3) budgetary oversight. Attendees will work in groups to develop tools for negotiating each scenario, regardless of institution size or structure.

Higher Education Administrators' Perspective On Service Learning, Briana Cicero-Johns

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

An economic downturn beginning in late 2007 has led to decreased funding and greater competition to recruit and retain students in higher education. Service-learning, while demonstrated to be an effective recruiting and retention strategy, could fall victim to budgetary constraints – thus undermining institutions’ historical commitment to service and engagement – unless administrators are convinced of its value. This study examined administrators’ perspectives on the perceived financial benefits, if any, that accrue to the institution from the implementation of service-learning courses and programs, and whether service-learning requirements are perceived to contribute to student learning, recruitment, retention, and fundraising.

The study …

University Presidents And The Role Of Fundraising At Private Liberal Arts Universities, Greeley Robert Myers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the last decade, private liberal arts universities have experienced financial difficulties requiring the need to raise private funds. The financial viability of these universities depends on the ability of university presidents to raise money; however, challenges remain to carry out this task. To increase fundraising effectiveness at the university being examined, this case study identified skills and practices of 10 university presidents who achieved fundraising success during their tenure, such as the completion of a capital campaign or the growth of the university's endowment. Transformational leadership style traits were considered to determine their alignment with the successful fundraising behaviors …

Ua1b3/5 Cherry Statue Committee, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by the Cherry Statue Committee in the course of raising funds for and directing the creation of the Henry Cherry Statue by sculptor Lorado Taft. Records created include meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, financial records and dedication programs.

Predictive Modeling And Alumni Fundraising In Higher Education, Mark Walcott

Theses and Dissertations

Institutions of higher education can benefit from using predictive modeling and data mining techniques to enhance capital and fundraising campaigns to yield higher levels of financial contributions. The purpose of this study was to enhance the sophistication of alumni fundraising by using predictive modeling and data mining techniques to address: (a) What factors are most likely to predict the likelihood of alumni making a financial contribution, and (b) What factors are most significant in predicting the amount of money alumni will contribute. Among the 17 variables used by this study those of significance for predicting the likelihood to give included: …

The Role Of Trustees In A Capital Campaign At A Public Research University, Marcia Lynn Overby

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing financial environment of public universities includes competing priorities for state funding. In today's economy, state appropriations for higher education do not always keep pace with institutional need. During periods of declining state revenue, universities endure budget cuts reducing state funding. When tuition dollars cannot be increased further and state appropriations are decreased or flat, public university administrators rely on fundraising to meet their mission, goals, and vision for their institutions. The fundraising program believed to produce the greatest results is a capital campaign. Large and ambitious capital campaigns can help institutions of higher education respond to decreases in …

Development Of University Related Foundations In China, Li Guo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The major purpose of the study was to identify significant organizational changes that have taken place in foundations of national Chinese public universities from 1999 to 2012. The study also attempted to explore major forces behind these changes. A secondary purpose was to seek for ideas on promoting higher education philanthropy in China by explore successful experiences in other countries.

To achieve the goals, this study: (a) started by identifying challenges on financing higher education in China as well as pointing out that the Chinese government and higher education institutions have begun to generate diversifying revenue sources including recently adopted …

An Examination Of The Role Of Fundraising In Divisions Of Student Affairs At Seven Four-Year Public Universities In The Midwest, Danielle Nicole Miller-Schuster

Theses and Dissertations

With higher accountability standards, divisions of student affairs must find alternative ways to balance the rising costs of college with the survival and growth of the programs and services expected. This study examined one such alternative, fundraising in student affairs, to further develop the profession's understanding of engaging in or growing development efforts. As more divisions become involved, it becomes important to learn from colleagues in the profession who are engaging in development activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which divisions of student affairs were involved in fundraising activities at seven 4-year public universities …

Profiles And Giving Patterns Of Donors To An Urban Southeastern Community College, John Allen Gyllin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on fundraising in higher education, and specifically community college fundraising. Having transitioned from a traditional four year university setting to a community college, the author found this research helpful, not only for this institution, but for knowledge of community college donors and why they give. By working with data from this institution over the last ten years, and the research on the topic of fundraising for community colleges, donor trends were developed and needed improvements identified to raise significantly more dollars for the college. It is the outcome of this research that will hopefully assist this institution …

The Role Of The Community College President In Fundraising: Perceptions Of Selected Michigan Community College Presidents, Matthew W. Miller

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This multiple case study examines the role of the community college president in fundraising as perceived by selected Michigan community college presidents. Over the past few decades, fundraising from private sources has become increasingly important in the fiscal landscape of community colleges. Pfeffer and Salancik’s (1978) work in resource dependence theory provides a theoretical framework for this study. In a resource dependent environment, community colleges are changing their activities in an effort to pursue alternative revenue sources. Using a qualitative approach, data from interviews were analyzed to examine the perspectives of four presidents regarding their overall leadership role in fundraising …

Ua3/9/3 President's Office-Ransdell Reading File, Wku Archives, Virginia Brothers, Aaron Shuford

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Reading file of outgoing correspondence regarding the administration of WKU, fund raising, thank yous and letters of condolence.

Raising The Bar: The Modern Community College Presidency, Meredith Noel Brunen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the largest challenges facing community colleges in the new millennium is identifying leaders who possess the necessary skills and competencies to successfully navigate the modern presidency. Facing a dynamic shift in the fiscal landscape, community college presidents are tasked with filling the gap between institutional needs and existing forms of financial support. The purpose of this study was to examine community college presidents with former fundraising backgrounds and to explore the impact of prior fundraising experience on their current roles. Because the president plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of alternative funding sources, the effectiveness of this …

Exploration Of The Balanced Scorecard As A Tool For Performance Measurement And Strategic Planning In Higher Education Development, Clifton Perry Moulds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to uncover information about the types of measurement and strategic planning models being used in higher education development, determine what measures are most important and effective for successful development practices, and explore the potential application of the Balanced Scorecard to higher education development operations. Survey data indicated a wide range of quantifiable metrics currently in use and opinions about measurements such as face-to-face visits, delivery of solicitations, and dollars raised. Personal interactions were considered the most important form of measurement, with financial outcomes falling closely behind. Very few survey respondents reported personal knowledge of the Balanced Scorecard, …

Differences In University Fundraising : The Role Of University Practices And Organization, Jeffrey M. Schanz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This research deals with factors that explain fundraising success and what types of institutional arrangements or practices exist at four year US public universities which make them successful or unsuccessful. Investment in higher education from state government continues to decline; alumni giving participation rates are falling, and many endowments continue to lag from the Great Recession. Nowhere has this been felt more than at many U.S. public universities who consistently watch their percentage of state aid dwindle.

Ua9/4 Institutional Advancement - College Heights Foundation, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about College Heights Foundation including annual reports, meeting minutes, publications and subscriber lists.