The first alumni donation in 1880s Japan: a cliometric analysis of social image and the open-academic record system

Abstract This study adopts a cliometric approach, using long-term individual-level data to analyse donation behaviour in Japan. In 1880, Keio, a private school in Japan, was at risk of closure. To address this, the school launched a fundraising campaign in the 1880–90 period. Established in 1857, the school has distributed a list covering all students’ academic records to teachers and students since 1861. Individual-level historical academic records were integrated with the list of contributors. Using this data, this study compares individuals who had studied at Keio before and after the system was introduced. The main findings are as follows: first, graduates who shared their academic records were more likely to contribute, and their donations were larger; second, class size was negatively correlated with the likelihood of contributing and the amount donated; and third, academic performance, as shown in the lists, was positively correlated with the likelihood of contributing, but not with the amount donated, using a sub-sample of those who shared their lists. These findings suggest that the introduction of the system strengthened the community network and the social image shared by its members, thereby leading to the first successful school fundraising campaign in Japan.