Honoring the Trust: Exploring the Relationship Between Higher Education Institutions and Endowment Donors
Keywords:
higher education, philanthropy, charitable giving, endowment, donor restricted giftAbstract
Society has entrusted higher education institutions (HEI) with three specific functions: instruction, research, and public service. The unique nature of these functions makes communicating success in honoring the inherent social contract challenging. This study explores a novel combination of nonfinancial measures and financial indicators, and how they correspond with donations of gifts with perpetual restriction to HEI endowments. These unique gifts signal that the receiving HEI is fulfilling its social contract and this study helps scholars and practitioners alike understand the correspondence between the activities of HEI and this important funding source.
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