Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
5-2012
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Catherine H. Glascock
Committee Members
Virginia P. Foley, Jeff Anderson, James H. Lampley
Abstract
At Northeast State Community College (NeSCC) nearly 70% of students need some form of financial aid to attend. State support is flattening or decreasing and the gap is filled by private donors' support (Northeast State Community College, 2011). Hundreds of donors have made significant contributions to aid in the education of those in the Northeast Tennessee region. The purpose of this study was to investigate the philanthropic motivations of a select group of 4 donors who have given a significant amount to a community college and to garner their specific reasons for doing so.
This qualitative study included 4 interviews from current donors in the President's Trust at NeSCC who had contributed at least $10,000. I interviewed an alumni representative, a faculty member, an individual contributor, and a corporate representative to better understand their approaches and perspectives on giving to NeSCC.
Through the interviews, I learned personal stories and motivations for giving. Some of their experiences can be linked to the servant leadership theory, transformational leadership, and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Also, the participants had similarities in stating that it was rewarding to give back and they all agreed that something from childhood spawned their motivations for giving.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Cook, Heather J., "Understanding Philanthropic Motivations of Northeast State Community College Donors" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1403. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1403
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.