Scoreboards vs. Mortarboards: Major Donor Behavior and Intercollegiate Athletics

In an era where intercollegiate athletics departments are increasingly reliant on and successful in obtaining charitable donations, three fundamental questions surrounding charitable contributions to educational institutions were empirically examined. Who gives to educational institutions in support of academic and athletics programs? Does the improved performance of athletic teams influence both types of giving to educational institutions? Does increased giving to athletics have a negative impact on charitable giving to educational programs at the same institution? An in-depth analysis of donor behavior at a major public university revealed that contrary to popular assumption, both alumni and non-alumni made gifts to both athletic and academic programs, though the two groups differed significantly in their behavior. Evidence indicated a winning athletics program may have significantly impacted alumni giving behavior, and that increased giving to athletics by both alumni and non-alumni was linked to a decline in academic fundraising at the same institution