Community College Alumni Giving: Toward a Multivariate Model

The study sought to determine whether the Multivariate Causal Model of Alumni Giving, which is based upon data from alumni of a four-year institution (Sun, 2005; Sun et al., 2007), applies in the same ways and to the same degrees to alumni of a statewide community college system in the eastern United States. Specifically, the study sought to find whether the following four factors are related to alumni giving to community colleges: student experience, alumni experience, alumni motivation, and demographics. A non-experimental, cross-sectional online survey study was conducted, with alumni from ten community colleges participating. The study found that the Multivariate Model of Alumni Giving applied to participating community college alumni in so far as the factors student experience, alumni experience, alumni motivation, and demographics significantly distinguished community college alumni donors from alumni nondonors. There were important differences in how these variables applied to community college alumni as compared to their original application to alumni of a four-year institution. For community college alumni in the study, the following extracted factors were shown to be significant: Alumni communications: importance; Alumni involvement: frequency; Alumni involvement: importance; Student experience: career/life preparation; Proximity of residence to community college; Age; and In-state residence. Based upon the number of completed responses, the results from the study were not generalizable to the larger population of community college alumni but demonstrated key areas where further study is needed.