FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH GIFT INCOME IN PUBLIC RESEARCH AND DOCTORAL GRANTING INSTITUTIONS

The problem investigated in this study was to determine which of several institutional characteristics were associated most closely with an institution's gift income and to determine which fund raising practices and programs were utilized in selected institutions.;This study focused only on those public institutions classified as Research I and II and Doctoral Granting I and II, and who had reported their fund raising results in the 1982-83, 1983-84, and 1984-85 Council for Financial Aid reports, N = 77. The Spearman rank-difference method of correlation (rho) was used to determine which institutional variables were most closely associated with gift income and a step-wise multiple regression equation was used to identify those variables most likely to predict the total gift income level.;Institutions located in the top and bottom quartiles, by ranking on their total gift income index were identified. The institutions in each ranking received a fund raising programmatic questionnaire. Chi-square tests of independence were used to determine which differences in the fund raising programs between these two groups were statistically significant.;The results showed that all twelve of the institutional characteristic variables were significantly correlated to the total gift income index for all seventy-seven institutions. Results by institutional type, regional classification, and by top and bottom ranking revealed a variety of statistically significant variables per classification.;In conducting this research twelve institutional characteristic variables possibly related to gift income were identified. Four variables were identified with the financial resources of an institution and eight variables were identified as inherent characteristics to an institution.;The most predictive regression equations for the total gift income index were found by geographical region. Regarding fund raising practices, the top and bottom institutions differed on several factors related to location, structure, staff size, and annual giving emphasis.;In conclusion, factors associated with federal and state support plus an institution's endowment market value were most significantly related to an institution's gift income index.