Patterns of giving to one's alma mater among young graduates from selective institutions

Despite the importance of alumni generated revenue, the general characteristics and motivation of individuals who are more likely to give to their alma mater are not well known outside of analyses of graduates of particular institutions. This paper examines individual characteristics that are correlated with alumni giving across graduates from 28 institutions in an attempt to identify attributes and experiences of graduates that are more likely to make donations to their alma mater. The objective of this analysis is not simply to determine the current characteristics of an individual that are associated with alumni giving, but rather to identify individual characteristics that may be observable to campus administrators and are correlated with alumni generosity. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.