Working Paper: NBER ID: w15493
Authors: Jonathan Meer; Harvey S. Rosen
Abstract: One justification offered for legacy admissions policies at universities is that that they bind entire families to the university. Proponents maintain that these policies have a number of benefits, including increased donations from members of these families. We use a rich set of data from an anonymous selective research institution to investigate which types of family members have the most important effect upon donative behavior. We find that the effects of attendance by members of the younger generation (children, children-in-law, nieces and nephews) are greater than the effects of attendance by the older generations (parents, parents-in-law, aunts and uncles). Previous research has indicated that, in a variety of contexts, men and women differ in their altruistic behavior. However, we find that there are no statistically discernible differences between men and women in the way their donations depends on the alumni status of various types of relatives. Neither does the gender of the various types of relatives who attended the university seem to matter. Thus, for example, the impact of having a son attend the univer-sity is no different from the effect of a daughter.
Keywords: alumni giving; legacy admissions; family relationships
JEL Codes: I21; I22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Attendance by a child (J13) | Increase in the probability of making a gift (D64) |
| Attendance by a child-in-law (K36) | Increase in the probability of making a gift (D64) |
| Attendance by a parent (J22) | Increase in the probability of making a gift (D64) |
| Family relationships (J12) | Alumni giving behavior (D64) |
| Generational position of the relative (J19) | Amount donated (D64) |