LGBTQ Alumni Financial Giving to and Participation With Undergraduate Alma Maters: A Mixed-Methods Study

• In Event: Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Postsecondary Financial Policy and Earnings Through Multiple Lenses

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of undergraduate and alumni experiences with financial giving to and participation with undergraduate alma maters for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) alumni. We employed a mixed methods design to offer both quantitative information and to give voice to data through participants’ qualitative data. Our approach first involved descriptive and regression analyses of the quantitative data generated from the LGBTQ alumni survey and then an analysis of qualitative data from focus groups. Both quantitative and qualitative data illuminate the importance of campus climate, academic training, and institutional value for LGBTQ alumni. These undergraduate and alumni experiences were demonstrated to have high impact on both alumni financial giving and participation.

Authors

• Jason C. Garvey, The University of Alabama

• Noah Daniel Drezner, Teachers College, Columbia University