Graduation Year

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

D.B.A.

Degree Granting Department

Business Administration

Major Professor

Uday Murthy, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Jean Kabango, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Priya Dosier, D.B.A.

Committee Member

Richard Will, Ph.D.

Keywords

Behavior, Donors, Higher Education, Philanthropy

Abstract

Advancement teams have a pivotal role in bridging the ever-widening gap in funding for higher education institutions. As this gap continues to expand, these teams have emerged as increasingly prominent players to raise philanthropic support. This research study is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of their engagement strategies and gaining a deeper understanding of donor motivations and intentions. Employing the Theory of Planned Behavior in conjunction with a revised and tested survey instrument (as validated by Smith & McSweeney in 2007), this study sheds light on donor behavior. It probes into donors' sentiments regarding the philanthropic tactics and communications they receive and the underlying attitudes and behaviors that drive their generosity. This deepened understanding of donors, based on self-reported Qualtrics survey results from 98 individuals, has yielded valuable data that led to the development of a set of framework artifacts, categorized by donor level, which hold the potential to elevate internal development-focused communication practices. The results of the self-reported Qualtrics survey from 98 participants have deepened our understanding of donors. This valuable data has led to the creation of framework artifacts. These artifacts are categorized by donor level and have the potential to improve internal development-focused communication practices. Additionally, the results provide a richer comprehension of donor motivations, shared giving history traits, and preferences. The quantitative research, which employed PLS-SEM techniques, establishes that the strategies employed to seek philanthropy have a direct and discernible impact on donor attitudes, ultimately influencing their behavioral intentions. In essence, this study not only deepens s our understanding of donor engagement strategies, motivations, and intentions dynamics but also provides advancement teams with valuable insights to optimize their approaches for fostering philanthropic support.

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