Year of Publication
2011
College
Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
Date Available
8-14-2014
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration
Executive Summary
The Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation, which supports the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, operates a scholarship program for new members known as the Academic Achievement Award, or Triple A Scholarship. The Fraternity’s recent and projected growth prompted the organization to consider changes to the program. In order to better evaluate changing the program, this study estimates the impact of the Triple A Scholarship program on two behaviors of graduate members – becoming a donor or becoming a volunteer.
More specifically, the study addresses the following two questions:
- Does receiving a Triple A Scholarship make a member more or less likely to be a future donor to the Fraternity or Foundation?
- Does receiving a Triple A Scholarship make a member more or less likely to be a volunteer (within the organization)?
Data for the analysis was obtained from the organization’s membership database, including all members who joined from July 1, 1998 – June 30, 2010, capturing the 24,267 men who had joined since the scholarship’s inception. Data included the individual’s volunteer and donor history, Triple A Scholarship information, class year, and school attended. School and chapter characteristics were added to individual data and include incoming freshmen characteristics, tuition, enrollment, athletic conference, chapter scholarship recipient data and information on chapters which started or closed during the time period. The analysis of data included t‐tests for significance of individual and institutional characteristics and a logit regression model for both donating and volunteering.
Using this model, individuals who received a Triple A Scholarship were found to be more likely to be donors. Several other variables were also found to be significant predictors of donating behavior including the individual’s age, if he served as an undergraduate officer, the percent of scholarship recipients in his chapter and if he attended a school which is part of certain athletic conferences. Schools which were part of other athletic conferences were found to be significant predictors of an individual not donating, as was being a part of a chapter which had closed.
Likewise, being a chapter officer and age were significant predictors of being a volunteer, although receiving a Triple A Scholarship was not found to be significant. Individuals from schools which had a high percentage of scholarship recipients, those from certain athletic conferences and those who were part of a newer chapter were also found to be significant predictors. Those from chapters which had closed, schools with a high percentage of high ACT scores (30‐36) and certain other athletic conferences were found to be significant predictors of someone not being a volunteer.
While receiving a Triple A Scholarship is one significant predictor of future donors’ behavior, it should not be the lone consideration in how to modify the program in the future. Given historical data, it is unlikely that these donors will completely cover the cost of the program over time. However, the analysis shows that members who received Triple A Scholarships, were chapter officers or were from chapters with a high percentage of Triple A recipients are more likely to donate. This presents an opportunity for the Educational Foundation to better approach and attract new donors.
Recommended Citation
Caudill, Robert B., "Does the Phi Gamma Delta Academic Achievement Award Affect the Fraternity's Ability to Attract Future Donors and Volunteers?" (2011). MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects. 92.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/mpampp_etds/92
