Correspondence: Russell N. James III, Consumer Research Center (House C) 203 415 Sanford Dr. University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602, USA. Phone: +1 706 542 4951; Fax: +1 706 583 0313; Email: rjames@fcs.uga.edu

¹is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Housing & Consumer Economics. Previously, Dr. James served for six years as the director of planned giving and for six years as college president at Central Christian College in Moberly, Missouri.

Received 22 September 2007; Revised 22 September 2007.

Abstract

Examining the charitable behavior of 56,663 US households, this paper evaluates the distinctive characteristics of educational donors as compared with donors to noneducational charitable organizations and with nondonors. In general, educational donors had significantly greater income, wealth, and education than other donors. Educational donors were broadly generous, giving more to religious charities, as well as noneducational and other charities than did other donors. Probit and Tobit regression analyses revealed that an individual's educational level was the strongest predictor of charitable donations to education institutions. Educational attainment was also more strongly associated with educational giving than with other types of charitable giving.