Academic Medicine: Characteristics of Alumni Donors

Abstract: Medical school fundraising from alumni offers some unique challenges in higher education. Studies have shown that the student experience of undergraduate alumni tends to influence their philanthropic behavior as alumni. However, the experiences of graduate level professional training in medical school can be very different from the undergraduate alumni experience. This study begins to identify the specific characteristics of individual alumni donors to a public medical school within a large, research-intensive university. Using regression analysis, this research suggests potential predictors of philanthropy from alumni to academic medicine. In practice, this research suggests that giving to graduate schools may not follow the same patterns that exist among alumni donors to undergraduate education. The demographic data that informs decisions about alumni outreach and engagement should reference past philanthropic outcomes in order to maximize giving among similar constituent groups. This case study outlines the key variables to consider.