AbstractsPsychology

This paper presents an empirical model for alumni giving behavior based on data obtained from the Humboldt State University Alumni Association (HSUAA). The purpose of the model was to produce insightful results about the effectiveness of outreach interventions that could be translated into actionable steps to improve fundraising efforts for HSUAA. These outreach interventions refer to both direct and indirect solicitations for donations, such as: email, phone calls, event invitations, news blasts, magazine publications, and direct appeals for donation. HSUAA???s alumni database contains information about the number of interventions sent to each alumnus, as well as attribute information, such as: gender, age, regional location, years in the database, email, amounts previously donated, occupation, and degree obtained. A linear regression model was used to determine the effects of outreach interventions and alumni attributes on total donation amount over the past 10 years for low-level ($1-999 total amount donated) and medium-level donors ($1,000-9,999 total amount donated), respectively. Results from the study show that number of years in the database, gender, and proximity of residence to the university had significant effects on the giving behavior of low-level alumni donors. Total amount given over the past 10 years was found to increase proportionately with the number of interventions and appeals for both low and medium-level donors, and decrease proportionately with magazine interventions. Suggestions for further research and improvements to the alumni database were made.