Does membership matter? Examining the relationship between alumni association membership and alumni giving

Abstract

The author examined the relationship between alumni giving and membership in a dues-based alumni association. The researcher used the chi-square test of association to analyze population data derived from the database of a public doctoral-granting research university in the South. The study unveiled a relationship between membership and giving, with current alumni association members being 4.8 times more likely to be current university donors than non-members and 11.5 times more likely to be current donors with cumulative giving of at least US$10 000 as compared to non-members. Members were more likely to be donors and conversely, donors were also more likely to be alumni association members, but slightly more member donors became alumni association members before making their first gift to the university. Across membership type, life members were the best donor prospects. Alumni association life members were 1.4 times more likely than annual members to be current donors and 5.7 times more likely to be current donors compared to non-members. Life members were 4.3 times more likely than annual members and 19.8 times more likely than non-members to have cumulative university giving of at least $10 000.