Abstract

This research uniquely aims to identify the key factors that current students at prestigious universities indicate have influence upon their likelihood of making donations to their alma mater in the future. Using data and examples from both the UK and the USA we show the importance of voluntary donations to prestigious universities and suggest that UK universities have much to learn from their American counterparts. A novel questionnaire was administered to students studying at a number of prestigious UK universities which resulted in a large number of responses being accepted for inferential statistical analysis. The robust results provide new insight into the significance of student centred pedagogy and students' career and financial aspirations as major determinants of intention to donate and also confirm the importance of overall student satisfaction, acquisition of transferable skills and the social experiences of university as additional determining factors. It is intended that this research should have practical implications and so we emphasise elements of the student and pedagogical experience upon which universities and alumni departments should focus their resources in order to increase the likelihood of obtaining future alumni donations from their current students.

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