Correspondence: Tanise L. Chung-Hoon, Brigham Young University C-380 ASB Provo, UT 84602, USA. Tel: +1 801 422-9033; Fax: + 1 801 422-0405; E-mail: tanise@byu.edu

¹is the Director of Principal Gifts in the Office of the President for LDS Philanthropies, Brigham Young University. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Her research focuses on enduring donor relations, principal gift-level donor activity, donor inclination, and the role of organizational integration in creating long-term support for nonprofit institutions.

²is an Associate Professor of Organizational Leadership at Brigham Young University in the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations. Her research focuses on strategic networks of educational organizations, particularly as they affect resources, innovation, and educational performance.

³is a Professor of Educational Research Theory and Methodology at Brigham Young University in the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations. His current research and service endeavors include the application of geographical information systems with educational management information systems in the national and regional education sectors of Africa and South Asia.

Received 28 March 2007; Revised 28 March 2007.

Abstract

Successful fund-raising efforts are critical for public higher education institutions as they seek to offset uncertainty in government funding. This study evaluated the enhancement of fund-raising capacity through the maintenance of enduring donor relationships. Utilizing the Donor/Organization Integration Model, the study examined interactions with top ten donors at 132 public higher education institutions in the United States. Findings indicate that the combination of relational embeddedness and formal structural interaction was related to enduring donor relationships and was also related to greater fund-raising outcomes. The study identified inner circle donor behaviors and fund-raising strategies contributing to enduring donor relationships.