Study of university donor recognition event

April Smith, Sarah Sargent, Gina Fe G. Causin, Mary S. Olle

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

Festivals, fairs, conventions, ballgames, concerts and fundraising activities are types of special events that individuals typically attend to participate in the festivities and enjoy with friends, family and colleagues (Causin & McCarthy, 2017; Causin et. al, 2010). Fundraising in higher education has been around for hundreds of years. In the early 1900’s, the driving motivator for fundraising was to provide funds for students specifically for housing expenses, books and food (Cook & Lasher, 1996).

Research has shown that donors are more likely to give when their contributions are made known to the public (Sheremeta & Samek, 2017). In an effort to create awareness and appreciation, many institutions have incorporated events to honor donors. However, there is little research on how and what type of donor recognition is most effective and will encourage donors to give. Determining what motivates a donor to give large contributions and if publicly recognizing donors at a major event motivates others to give is still to be determined. Although research has shown that donor recognition is important in cultivating relationships, the type of recognition that is most effective is unknown (Sheremeta & Samek, 2017).

Original languageUndefined/Unknown
StatePublished - Jan 3 2019

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