Attitudes of engineering donors toward the use of electronic communications for fundraising in the College of Engineering at the University of Idaho

In 2005 fundraising is becoming more and more important for the growth and even the survival of both public and private institutions of higher learning. Rising costs combined with scarce resources make it imperative to use every tool available for cost-effective fundraising.The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe engineering donors' attitudes toward electronic communications and their uses of this technology for fundraising. The participants in the study were all connected to the College of Engineering at the University of Idaho. All of the participants were donors to the college.The end goal of the study was to create a new model for development communications within the College of Engineering. The model will be tested and refined over time. The significance of the model is that the development tasks and process within the College of Engineering may be more efficient, less costly, and faster. In a time of budget cuts that are expected to increase and to continue during the foreseeable future, the need to enhance funding for the college from government, private, foundation, and corporate sources is crucial. The model will improve this process and will be valuable for current and future faculty and staff of the College of Engineering who are or will be actively involved in the college's development effort.