An Analysis Of Two-Year College Fundraising Practices

Abstract: this study sought to discover information about the types of fundraising methods being used in community college resource development, determine what methods are most effective for successful development practices, and inform community college development officers of these methods. Specifically, this study addressed the following question: are there statistically significant relationships between two-year college size, fundraising method(s), and the amount of funds raised? Descriptive statistics were obtained, and two-way chi-square analysis was used to illustrate the comparisons between the categorical variables in all hypotheses. Only one hypothesis was rejected based on a computed chi-square (χ2 = 22.507), which exceeded the critical value (χ2cv = 5.991). This result indicated the possibility of a significant relationship between fundraising success and the size of a two-year institution\u27s student headcount. The results of this study aligned with existing research with similar characteristics. The study by Rieves (2005), an analysis of public two-year college fundraising, which indicated 20% of fundraising efforts can be attributed to the size of the institution, and recommended that foundation officers rethink strategies of engagement to increase student headcount. As well, Gilmore\u27s (1996) study, an analysis of fundraising activities for the solicitation of private donations at selected public community colleges, which identified significant fundraising activities, also found fundraising revenue was positively correlated with the size of the institution\u27s student body