Examining Factors that Influence Donor Motivation Among Former Student-Athletes and NCAA DI Classification

The purpose of this study was to identify motivational factors that contribute to the philanthropic decision making of the former NCAA Division I student-athlete. A 47-item survey instrument was modified from a prior study and distributed electronically to 8,461 male and female former student-athletes at three participating NCAA Division I classified institutions (FBS, FCS, and Non-Football Playing). A total of 938 surveys were completed and useable for this study with an overall response rate of 11.09%. Cross-tabulation and chi-square analyses were applied to explore the significance between former student-athletes who contributed to athletics in 2011-12 and independent variables identified by the researcher. A contingency coefficient was utilized to identify the strength of the significant relationships. Four open-ended questions explored influencers for donors and non-donors among the former student-athlete population. Open and axial coding was utilized to group words and/or phrases into themes. The "Top 5" themes receiving a 5% or more response was reported and ranked for each classification. Ultimately, this mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative paradigms) study provided answers to the following questions: 1). How does NCAA classification (FBS, FCS, and Non-Football Playing Subdivision status) impact former student-athlete donor motivation? 2). How does donor motivation differ among gender and the former student-athlete population? 3). To what extent does athletic success impact the former student-athletes motivation for giving? 4). How does the relationship among the coach (former and/or current), athletic director, and fundraiser impact motivation of donors? The characteristics identified through this study will help athletic development professionals connect and strengthen their institution's relationship with this vital constituency group. The results should aid athletic development officers in their search for operational, scholarship, and capital support for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.