IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Shaker, Genevieve G."

Browsing by Author "Shaker, Genevieve G."

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A thematic analysis of fundraiser characteristics in high-quality major donor fundraising relationships in US higher education
(Wiley, 2023) Shaker, Genevieve G.; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
As nonprofits increasingly rely on large contributions, skillful major gift fundraisers are more important than ever. In contrast to the vast research on donor motivations, there are few examinations of fundraisers or fundraising relationships. This study responds to nonprofits' interest in understanding beneficial fundraising strategies and to the lack of empirical literature with the question: From the donor perspective, what characteristics do fundraisers demonstrate within high-quality major giving relationships? This exploratory, interview-based project used a codebook thematic analysis approach based on HEXACO personality theory to review participants' reflections about fundraisers. The 20 participating donors had given between USD\10,000 and USD\40 million to select colleges and universities in the US Midwest region. This study confirms much of what fundraisers believe to be important to major gift donors, with added nuance about the complex form of professionalism donors appreciate. The fundraiser characteristics show several dual emphases, including on field expertise and interpersonal acumen, attention to donor concerns and institutional interests, patience with the gift-making process and ability to facilitate its progression, and attention to ethical practice and empathetic interactions. The study shows the inner workings of the major giving relationship fundraising paradigm, reveals how societal perceptions of fundraisers are relevant for understanding donor preferences, and provides a framework for fundraisers to assess and enhance their interactions with major donors.
Analyzing Three Decades of Philanthropic Giving to U.S. Higher Education (1988–2018)
(Indiana University, 2020) Shaker, Genevieve G.; Borden, Victor M. H.; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
This investigation explores trends in U.S. higher education philanthropy across 30 years, exploring giving by donor type, the purposes of the contributions, and institutional-type variation in philanthropy. We used a longitudinal national sample (1988–2018) of approximately 400 public and private institutions from the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey. In the sample of mostly 4-year institutions, giving increased by an inflation-adjusted average of 3.6% annually and 175% overall, from $9.1 billion to $25.1 billion (2018 dollars). All donor types gave more dollars, gifts supported a broad range of purposes, and all institutional types benefited. Four notable trends include: an increase in the proportion of donations from organizations, and especially foundations, rather than individuals; an early shift in funding toward capital/endowment purposes but then back to current operations since 1998; designation of a larger proportion of funds for restricted, rather than unrestricted, purposes; and a higher proportion of dollars contributed to public, as compared to private institutions. Within sector trends reveal that increased giving to public institutions partly accounts for the rising proportions of both organizational donations and donations for current operations purposes. This study fills gaps in the scholarly literature about higher education philanthropy and provides information for institutional leaders to benchmark fundraising trends and prepare for the future.
Breaking the isolation: fundraisers, informal support groups, and professional growth
(2018-11) Shaker, Genevieve G.; Nathan, Sarah K.; Janin, Pat D.; O'Connor, Heather A.
Although understanding of the fundraising profession is growing, less is known about fundraisers working in smaller nonprofits, with limited access to professional associations. In this grounded theory study, we conducted focus groups with fundraisers who created an informal professional association. Literature has indeed shown that such associations can provide self-regulation, knowledge diffusion, and professional identity–similar to that offered by larger, formal associations. Our objective was to explore why, when, and how fundraisers in small organizations form and use informal associations for professional growth and confidence. We created a model/theory describing one group’s process with implications for supporting the profession.
The Donors Next Door; Raising Funds from Faculty for Faculty Development Centers
(Wiley, 2012) Shaker, Genevieve G.; Palmer, Megan M.
As a result of waning institutional support and charitable foundation interest, teaching and learning centers and other faculty development units may have little choice but to turn to private donors. Although faculty and staff giving is an important part of higher education fundraising, considering faculty as potential donors for faculty development centers is uncommon. In this chapter, we provide information on faculty and staff giving, review the related literature, share findings from a new study on faculty major donors, and provide a series of recommendations, stemming from the literature and the major donor study, to inform fundraising efforts by faculty development centers.
Familiarity matters: corporate philanthropy and employee workplace giving and volunteering
(Bristol UP, 2023-02-27) Heist, H. Daniel; Shaker, Genevieve G.; Christensen, Robert K.; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Employees create and enact corporate philanthropy (CP) programmes, which are a central strategy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies. Employers rely on employees to donate and volunteer through the workplace. From a survey of more than 500 employees at a large corporation based in the United States, we determined that employees’ likelihood of participating in CP is affected by their length of job tenure, managerial responsibilities and work location (on- or off-site). Using structural equation modelling, we found that employee familiarity with the company’s CP programmes mediates the relationship between giving and volunteering with management positions and working on-site. Employee perception also matters. Employees who think highly of CP programmes’ community impact and workplace environment outcomes (CP ‘walk’) are more likely to give and volunteer. Conversely, perceptions of the company ‘standing out’ (CP ‘talk’) in its industry are negatively related to volunteering with the company. Findings contribute to the development of meso-level dynamics in workplace giving.
Foundation Position and Actions in the Multi-national Arena: A Case Study of Ocean Conservation in the Arctic
(2023-03) Danahey Janin, Patricia Clare; Paarlberg, Laurie E.; Shaker, Genevieve G.; Badertscher, Katherine; Hellwig, Timothy
This study examines private foundation positioning and actions in respect to governance and market considerations in the multi-national arena around the issue of ocean conservation in the empirical setting of the Arctic Ocean. Existing research has focused primarily on foundations in their domestic setting or alternatively in their international engagement within a foreign country. There is evidence that foundation creation and activity addressing global issues are rising. Questions remain around the role of foundations in global governance and their relationship to the market. Using a qualitative case study methodology, this study was guided by a framework based on governance and market. The framework incorporated Young and Frumkin’s conceptualization of government-nonprofit relations enhanced by three additional United Nations ocean-related frameworks, and an orientation toward the market based on empirical studies. Five key actions carried out by foundations were also considered. The study was organized around two ocean conservation policy contexts to see similarities and differences. The research focused on a total of eleven foundation case studies, drawing on data from publicly available documents, grant databases, the observation of public events, and sixteen semi-structured on-line video interviews of experts, foundation, government, and NGO representatives. The study supports the theoretical model demonstrating that foundations generally complemented government activity underway and took adversarial stances at specific decision-making junctures. Foundations were attentive to international frameworks that intersected with their issue area and approach. The study challenges the model due to the difficulty in differentiating the supplemental and complementary positioning. Governance architecture and interlocking policy fields kept foundations from driving the agenda. Primary actions were funding and deploying a variety of non-financial assets. No high-risk funding linked to markets was detected and sustainable market solutions coupled with regulation were favored approaches. Risk mitigation was a primary concern prompting questions around foundation innovation. This research points to factors hindering foundations to take on a key role in governance and the evolving dimensions of the market prompting further research on foundation activity in the multi-national arena. It provides scholars and practitioners insights into theoretical and practical implications for foundations working in complex, politically tense contexts.
The Generosity of an Urban Professoriate: Understanding Faculty as Donors and Academic Citizens
(CUMU, 2012-01-01) Shaker, Genevieve G.
Although faculties are often portrayed as institutionally uninvolved, evidence exists that many of them are actually academic citizens who contribute beyond requirements and expectations. Using a phenomenological approach to examine major giving by faculty and their academic citizenship at an urban university, this study of limited sample size shows that faculty citizenship was grounded by philanthropic values such as those that inspired financial giving among the participants.
The Global Common Good and the Future of Academic Professionals
(Higher Learning Research Communications, 2011-10-31) Shaker, Genevieve G.
In this epilogue to the special issue of Higher Learning Research Communications dedicated to higher education, community engagement, and the public good, Shaker addresses the unifying concept presented across the issue: the common good. For Shaker, this special issue responds to UNESCO’s call for educational institutions and educators to rethink education in the contemporary era and focuses on how academic endeavors can, do, and should act in service to a global common good. The essay stresses the academic workforce needs to be reimagined concurrently with rethinking the systems of education that will ensure the world and society “to which we aspire.” Faculty in all their diversity are the central and essential ingredient to a successful global educational response to the challenges of an equitable and just global society will create and disseminate the knowledge society needs. To close, Shaker notes publications such as this bring these conversations into sharper focus to align and connect them so that a rethought approach to higher education might generate discernible results within the relatively short time available.
The Global Public Good: Students, Higher Education, and Communities of Good
(Higher Learning Research Communications, 2011-10-30) Shaker, Genevieve G.; Plater, William M.
Along with introducing the purpose and cohesion of the essays that form this special issue, we also wish to highlight the force on which all of these lofty hopes depend: educated students. Without question, the authors who wrote these essays understand and appreciate the importance of students, especially as the prepared and empowered agents of future actions that will be sustainably transformative in the conduct of their lives. In fact, students are so pervasively important to most discussions of higher education and the public good, including the UNESCO report, that they are often taken for granted in a rush to address institutional and faculty responsibilities. However, no student of any age or educational goal should ever be far from consideration. They are indeed fully present in the essays that comprise this issue of Higher Learning Research Communications.
A Grounded Theory Study of Major Gift Fundraising Relationships in U.S. Higher Education
(SAGE, 2021-11-26) Shaker, Genevieve G.; Nelson, Deanna
Nurturing relationships with major donors is a priority for nonprofits, and “relationship fundraising” is the dominant paradigm. This grounded theory study addressed practical needs and a dearth of research by analyzing how fundraisers develop relationships. In a first-of-its-kind study, we interviewed 20 pairs of higher education fundraisers and major donors (n = 40) from multiple U.S. institutions. We discovered five tiers of relationships from a basic connection, personalized association, confident relationship, purposeful partnership, to a consequential bond. Fundraisers initiated the progression until the final tier; the theoretical model shows their intentionality in the relationships’ development. Major gifts occurred in all tiers. The model illustrates how fundraisers build relationships, explores donors’ expectations, and affirms the relational nature of major gift fundraising. It provides some of the only empirical evidence regarding major donors, and the relationship fundraising philosophy touted in practitioner literature. The analysis reveals connections to theories from social psychology and relationship marketing.

Browsing by Author "Shaker, Genevieve G."

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