The characteristics of donors and non-donors among alumni of Mississippi State University: A descriptive study

摘要

Alumni associations and offices of development play fundamental roles in American higher education, typically having missions which include the generation of financial support for the institution. Alumni associations must develop strategies to encourage alumni to donate money and enable them to build long-term relationships between alumni organizations and the university.;The foundation of any fund raising program is the annual fund. Not only does the annual fund represent a significant percentage of funds raised for most charities, it often comes with the fewest strings attached. If development professionals have a clear understanding of the issues and factors that influence donors to make annual gifts, they may be able to design cultivation and solicitation approaches which raise more money at less cost.;The study uses quantitative methods to analyze data collected from the computer database of the Mississippi State University Foundation and Mississippi State University National Alumni Association to develop a profile of donors and non-donors.;Recommendations for further study include more studies of this type in the region, interview studies with donors, and studying any relationships between giving and other variables, such as income level.