RT Article
T1 A Third Master? Examining the Road to Alumni Philanthropic Giving at an Irish Catholic College
JF Christian higher education
VO 12
IS 4
SP 266
OP 281
A1 Gallo, Maria
LA English
PB Taylor & Francis
YR 2013
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1798176726
AB Drawing on the concept of two masters (Donahoo & Lee, 2008), this paper examines the emergence of a potential third master: philanthropic alumni donors. A case study of a Catholic higher education institution in Ireland, with the pseudonym “College Nua,” provides the platform for this research. This institution is in a unique position: the college is at the initial stages of formalizing the institutional structures for alumni relations and philanthropic giving. The empirical findings demonstrate the influence of the first two “masters” at the college, defined as the (a) priorities derived from the State policy balanced with the (b) intentions of the religious orders that remain affiliated to and involved in the stewardship of the college. By examining the existing informal practices with alumni at College Nua, this institution intends to create an administrative infrastructure to manage philanthropy. College Nua is establishing a philanthropic function that follows what the EU Commission (2008) describes as an alumni model of philanthropy, which demonstrates the power alumni donors may possess in steering the Catholic college's future strategy. Overall, the college leadership involved in the empirical study responded positively to the possible impact of alumni donors toward the institution. The informal relationships developed with alumni are encouraging to College Nua that the addition of philanthropic donors as a possible “third master” will enable the college to control its institutional destiny while addressing the demands of the first two masters: meeting national higher education policy and securing the Catholic tradition at the institution.
DO 10.1080/15363759.2013.805995