Using a dataset that includes every private donation made to a large public university from 1938 to 2012 and demographic information on all alumni, we examine the effects of public research funding on individual donations. Our dataset allows us to examine crowding effects on a small time scale and extensive donor characteristics. We estimate…

The study of national research assessment exercises serves to evaluate the effectiveness of policies versus their objectives and to improve the formulation of future initiatives. The aim of the current study is to verify whether the introduction of the first performance-based research funding in Italy, based on the 2004-10 VQR assessment, achieved…

This study explored the drivers for Long Beach City College alumni, a 2-year California community college (CCC), to engage with and donate to their alma mater. Due to the widespread decline in enrollment post-COVID-19 pandemic, institutions face increasing financial insecurity. They must now explore new funding streams. By modeling the success of…

This dissertation consists of three essays on market and mechanism design. In each essay, I utilize tools and knowledge from game theory, equilibrium theory, and mechanism design to explain agents' behavior and assess the market equilibrium structure in different allocation mechanisms, both with and without monetary transactions. The first two…

In 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) passed its first private school voucher legislation with the introduction of the Opportunity Scholarship Program. The program was designed to provide private school tuition assistance to income-eligible families who chose to withdraw their child from public school and it represents a significant…

School districts across the U.S. have adopted funding policies designed to distribute resources more equitably across schools. However, schools are also increasing external fundraising efforts to supplement district budget allocations. We document the interaction between funding policies and fundraising efforts in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). We…

This study examines alumni motivations for engagement and philanthropic contributions at one small, public, liberal arts college struggling with low alumni participation. In an electronic survey, three categories of alumni (donors, inconsistent donors, and non-donors) responded to 28 multiple choice questions and two open-ended questions. The…

The Georgia Tech Library Public Services Department proposed to expand the number of staffed service points throughout the Library to increase coverage and service. The proposal was well-received by Library leadership and earned priority placement in the Library's annual budget request. The theoretical underpinning for this reception is an…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established to further the education of Black Americans and have a long history of service to minority, first-generation, and low-income students. HBCUs are also struggling financially, due to federal and state underinvestment, small endowments, low alumni giving, and decreasing enrollment.…

There are currently 353 NCAA Division I schools across 32 conferences, most of which do not maintain a profit from college athletic revenue (Berkowitz, et al., 2019). Previous quantitative literature identified the opportunities of investing in Division I college athletics as increased application rates, graduation rates, retention rates, alumni…

Planned giving is a critical source of funding for higher education institutions. Smaller institutions receive fewer of these gifts in comparison to larger research institutions of higher education. Higher education leaders have recognized these benefits and suggest that these gifts would create a substantial opportunity for changes in smaller…

When the government chooses to cooperate with private organizations to provide public services, the Supreme Court has made clear that the First Amendment prohibits religious discrimination. Three cases--"Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer" (2017), "Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue" (2020), and…

A review of recent literature reveals an ever-growing number of papers related to the topics of service learning and community engagement incorporated into capstone classes. The current literature identifies examples of institutions that have sufficient resources to address large-scale industry-funded domestic projects or international projects in…

The Mississippi Public Universities "Research Catalog" is mandated by the State through the University Research Center Act of 1988 (§ 37-141-17). The publication lists the funding amounts by the sources of funding and by the university disciplines receiving the funding. It is designed for use by state policy makers, the educational…

As schools transitioned to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, community-based organizations pivoted from providing afterschool programs to dealing with all manner of crises and basic needs. Some out-of-school time (OST) providers stayed open to provide full-day programs for the children of first responders and essential workers, while…