How to Raise Funds from Alumni: State of the art and qualitative study on former students’ attachment to their university

How to Raise Funds from Alumni: State of the art and qualitative study on former students’ attachment to their university (Décisions marketing - N°101)

20 pages

Objectives/Research questions: This research seeks to better understand giving behavior by alumni to their former university, in a context of the progressive expansion of university foundations. We identify motivations for and impediments to giving and, more specifically, raise the question of attachment to the university and its effects on donation. Methodology/approach: After exploring the literature on factors influencing donation to higher education institutions and on attachment theory, we conducted a qualitative study based on interviews with 25 alumni. Findings: This research highlights factors of attachment and non-attachment to the university, linked to identity, nostalgia, geographical location, the education received, and a feeling of community. It shows that an alumnus who is attached to his or her university will be willing to support it to a greater extent financially. Finally, we explain that various motivations (reciprocity, support for education and professional integration, tax exemptions) and disincentives (dissatisfaction, limited financial resources, high tax bracket, other priorities) influence giving behavior. Managerial/societal implications: Encouraging cohesion through project-based teaching, helping and supporting students in their schooling and professional integration or involving them more in university life are possible ways of increasing attachment and favoring donation. Originality: We carried out a literature review on the factors contributing to giving to universities and, for the first time in marketing research in France, identify attachment factors and their link to donation. Keywords: giving behavior, foundations, attachment, alumni.

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