The anatomy of a likely donor: econometric evidence on philanthropy to higher education

In 2011, philanthropic giving to higher education institutions totaled $30.3 billion, an 8.2% increase over the previous year. Roughly, 26% of those funds came from alumni donations. This article builds upon existing economic models to create an econometric model to explain and predict the pattern of alumni giving. We test the model using data from over 27,000 alumni at a private liberal arts college, and report on the probable profiles for annual fund donors.