Florida Atlantic Receives Large Gift for New Stadium, Utilizes Virtual Venue

Florida Atlantic University received its largest gift to date for its new on-campus stadium.  The school plans to name the stadium’s scoreboard with permanent signage after the donor who made the major contribution.  The new stadium is set to open October 15 when the team hosts Western Kentucky.  The $70million project will be able to hold 30,000 spectators and features 6,000 premium seats.  This past week FAU released a projected economic impact study which estimates that the school will be able to generate $1.8 million on game days.

The stadium is part of a larger on campus project known as Innovation Village.  The overall plan also includes residence halls, shopping, and dining establishments.  Innovation Village is instrumental in the school’s strategy to create a stronger on-campus experience which at the centerpiece of the plan is the new open-air facility.

Another neat aspect of the project is that the FAU athletic department has utilized the interactive stadium software, Virtual Venue, provided by IOMEDIA.  This “Virtual Venue” allows fans the ability to navigate the stadium and get price and donation information for any seat in the facility.  Additionally the website enables fans to get a sense of what it would be like to sit in the seats they are looking at with a “seat view” feature.  People who visit this site are also able to chat with an online ticket representative and can see further benefits for choosing different seating areas.

FAU is one of a growing number of schools to use IOMEDIA’s Virtual Venue.  The list includes Penn State, UCLA, and the University of Washington.  We have previously looked at how Ballena Technologies has helped athletic departments with their ticketing and reseating initiatives.  Both of these companies’ services enhance the seat selection process for development offices, donors, and fans.  As 3D virtual venue technology continues to evolve at the college level it will be interesting to see what new features will be incorporated that will add further value.

Drew Ossakow

University of Arizona Incorporates Volunteers With Online Giving Campaign

A while back, we featured an article on Oregon State University and the incorporation of online giving to drive annual funds and membership for the Beaver Student Athlete Fund.  A few weeks ago, the Wildcat Club at the University of Arizona embarked on a similar journey, releasing an online giving campaign with a goal of having 12,000 Wildcat Club members by 2013.  The Wildcat Club “12,000 by 2013” campaign incorporates many of the principles behind past online giving campaigns with Pursuant Sports, in addition to unique elements trying to ensure the campaign goes down as a success.

With new Athletics Director Greg Byrne, the Wildcat Club was looking for a way to introduce a new age of Arizona Athletics to supporters.   With rapid increases in multimedia usage amongst all demographics, and their athletic director incorporating social media into his daily routine, the Wildcat Club realized an online giving campaign would tremendously aid any effort to re-introduce Arizona Athletics.  Moreover, in selecting Pursant Sports to help construct their campaign, the company that helped launch similar campaigns with Oregon State and North Carolina State, the introduction of a online giving campaign for the Wildcat Club seemed liked a perfect fit.

Now, one of the main benefits to online giving is the ability to touch many supporters with only one click of a mouse.  Furthermore, eye-catching videos that feature the impact philanthropic support has for student-athletes are easy and convenient “asks” for contributions and support.  However, in order for people to give online they need to be directed to watch the video.

Therefore, the Wildcat Club empowered close to 120 volunteers to help re-introduce Arizona Athletics with an online giving campaign as their master solicitation tool. Further incentives for volunteer efforts are prizes for the people and teams who acquire the most new members.  The use of volunteers with the “12,000 by 2013” campaign for Arizona Athletics is a nice addition to previously seen online giving campaigns.  With the success and reach of such campaigns, look for more athletic departments to incorporate similar programs with their own specific tweaks and additions.

Michael Speight

Special thanks to Thomas Theodorakis Regional Director of Annual Giving for the Wildcat Club for his contribution with this story.

VCU looks to capitalize on Final Four run with And One Program

In an effort to capitalize on the recent success of the men’s basketball program, VCU Athletics has launched the “And One” Campaign.  Coming off of their successful “Shoot for 1,000” Campaign, the Ram Athletic Fund is aiming to expand their annual giving referral program through And One.  Twenty-five priority points are awarded for referring a new donor, which is a significant amount based on VCU Athletics current priority point system.  In addition, new members of the Ram Athletic Fund who joined through the And One Campaign receive two free tickets to a select men’s basketball game during the 2011-12 season.

The school’s first trip to the Final Four comes at a perfect time.  Within the past year, VCU Athletics made large strides in increasing their donor base, as the Shoot for 1,000 Campaign saw a rise in Ram Athletic Fund membership from 821 to 1,249.  With the help of And One, the Ram Athletic Fund will look to come closer to the membership levels of other regional in-conference schools such as James Madison (4,395), Old Dominion (2,420), and William & Mary (3,185).

For schools that do not commonly find themselves playing deep into March Madness, it can be tough to fully prepare for the media exposure and public interest that comes with it.  VCU has done a good job at making a push to use this opportunity to reach out and expand their fan base both through And One and the multitude of online content they have provided through their website and twitter to help fans feel a part of the journey.

Drew Ossakow

Crabfeeds prove to be unique, popular fundraisers

Crabfeeds are popular fundraising events in California.

Sacramento State Athletics recently held their second annual crabfeed fundraiser which has become an instant hit and a significant source of funding for student-athlete scholarships for the department.  This year they hosted 650 people and raised an estimated $50,000, an increase of 200 people and $22,000 from the inaugural event.  Ticket prices for the crabfeed were $45 per person or $450 for a table of 10.  Donations were also collected from the event’s raffle, beverage sales, and live auction which included a painting from local Sacramento artist Thomas Kinkade.  In addition, donors that attended the event were able to mingle with current and former Sacramento State student-athletes, along with department administrators.  Hornet Athletics followed up by thanking all those who attended through the school’s twitter account.

Crabfeeds are a popular charity event throughout northern California, as each year millions of pounds of crab are served as a part to support various service, church, and school groups.  These events typically happen in the early winter months just as crab fishing season is kicking off.

As state support to universities continues to decline, athletic departments will need to continually look for unique opportunities to raise money. Creative fundraisers, such as crabfeeds, afford the chance for development offices to reach out to new donors and interact with current ones. In addition, by having the event at an off-campus location, such as what Sacramento State did this year, the opportunity to attract potential prospects increases.

In another example, the University of San Francisco’s athletic department uses their annual Baseball crabfeed fundraiser to help kick off the team’s season with all proceeds going towards the baseball program. This year the Don’s are incorporating an appearance from San Francisco Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper to help attract more attendees .  These examples illustrate how athletic development offices can benefit by seeking to incorporate non-traditional athletics activities into their event calendar.

Drew Ossakow

Vanderbilt launches Commodores On Board Campaign

Vanderbilt University has recently launched a new program designed to increase a crucial part of any annual giving fund – referrals. Just like small businesses, referrals are generated when a current donor refers a friend to join the club. In the Commodores On Board campaign, current members of the National Commodore Club are rewarded for their efforts of bringing new donors and dollars in to the fold.

A unique part of this new program is that all members who refer a new donor receive a prize. There are no quotas of dollars generated or new members referred to earn rewards. As a current member, this makes achieving the prizes more realistic and guaranteed instead of having a “chance” of winning in a large prize in a drawing.

However, there is an opportunity to win a couple of grand prizes. For the member who refers the most new donors and the member who raises the most new dollars, an all-expenses paid trip to an away Vanderbilt game will be awarded. For more information, be sure to review the chart here and directions here. Vanderbilt also announced the program on their Facebook page.

These types of programs work well to reach a new group often times the current development staff does not have the time or energy to reach. In the small business world, current customers often lead to the best new customers. The same can be said for an active athletics annual fund. Vanderbilt has taken a step to turn their current member base in to a volunteer fundraising force.

Special thanks to Sterling Frierson of the National Commodore Club at Vanderbilt University for bringing this program to our attention.

Taylor Wood

Encourage Support for Specialized Recruiting Fund

Overall, university athletic supporters enjoy knowing how their contributions will directly benefit student-athletes.  Traditionally, most universities encourage unrestricted athletic giving, which gives the athletic department the freedom to allocate funds at its own discretion.  However, the University of Mississippi athletic department recently made a push to increase overall support by giving contributors an opportunity to see the direct benefits of their donations in a new way.

To encourage increased giving, Rebel Athletics launched the 5 Star Recruiting Fund, a specific fund where supporters contribute to help budget in the recruitment of future rebels.  All revenue garnered from the 5 Star Fund will directly go to the recruitment of 5 Star recruits for all Ole Miss sport teams.  Moreover, supporters will receive priority points for donations to the 5 Star Fund in the same manner as they receive priority points for seating.

In creating a 5 Start Recruiting Fund, the University of Mississippi has made a fun and exciting way for annual contributors to see a direct benefit of their giving.  More importantly, in giving to such a fund supporters can have some ownership over the type and quality of student-athletes Ole Miss can recruit.

Michael Speight

Advice on how to use social media in development

via www.theconversationprism.com

This past week I had the opportunity to attend the CASE-KY Convention in Louisville. During my time there, I heard some great advice during a session led by Jason Falls as he discussed Social Media and its application in University Advancement.

Falls started out his presentation by comparing many people’s thoughts of social media to that of a “magical unicorn” (as evident by this complicated graphic called The Conversation Prism). He admitted there is a lot of mystery surrounding social media because of its relative novelty, but recommended that it be viewed as a tool, not a mysterious cure-all.

With that in mind, he does mention that social media often operates a little differently than your regular media. This relies primarily on the fact that there must be a conversation occurring in social media, something that does not traditionally happen with a brochure or direct mail. People want that human interaction with their social media assets.

If a university or an athletics department interacts with their fans and supporters, they are creating conversations. This is something development officers do everyday through traditional means, such as the telephone, email and face-to-face contact. Social media should be utilized as another way to have a conversation. He commented that when a conversation is made, it becomes a market. That market is full of human beings who are interested in your cause.

Falls went on to say that what people want the most out of social media is relevant, easily-shared content, ability to comment on articles, and the ability to follow their interests on their channels. In doing this, the university can create a community of users who can share the news about the school’s accomplishments. Essentially, it creates a conversation that can then be leveraged to generate revenue.

When asked what would be the largest investment if a university were to start a social media campaign today, Falls quickly responded by saying that it is the people who will run the outlets. In his mind, there needs to be a person who is responsible for connecting the dots between the Universities activities and the conversations they are creating.

In the end, Falls stated that social media does not raise money, people raise money. Regular development avenues will continue to be effective, but adding a social media campaign has the potential to increase the conversation and drive more people in to your market.

Jason Falls can be found online at www.socialmediaexplorer.com. You can also follow him on twitter at @JasonFalls.

Taylor Wood

Nebraska gets creative with Husker Air Force Program

Recently, the University of Nebraska’s athletic department used the excitement surrounding the early national signing period to help publicize a new donor program. This program allows participants to have a direct impact on which current high schoolers become future Husker student-athletes.  This new initiative called The Husker Air Force Program is aimed at assisting the football coaching staff’s national recruiting efforts.  Through a partnership established with Jet Linx Aviation and UltraAir, the Nebraska Athletic Department will give Bo Pelini and his assistant coaches the ability to visit with multiple future student-athletes within a short period of time.  In a letter to Husker donors, coach Pelini and Nebraska Associate Athletic Director Paul Meyers explained the new program and told them that this is their opportunity to help them “recruit the next national championship team!”.

There are multiple options in which a donor can contribute to the Husker Air Force Program:

1. Purchase hours with Jet Linx or UltraAir
2. Donate purchased hours
3. Donate personal airplane hours
4. Donate cash to the Husker Air Force through the University of Nebraska Foundation

Donors are told to visit these Husker Air Force Program specific websites through Jet Linx and UltraAir in order to contribute.

The Nebraska Athletics department offers tiered benefits at three contribution levels $1,000-$4,999, $5,000-$9,999, and $10,000 and above.  Some of these benefits include a jacket with wings, an annual program specific gift, and private event with coaches.

This program allows donors to directly impact the efficiency in which the football program recruits.  Fundraising initiatives such as this also would be a great complement to national signing day events athletic development offices have begun to utilize.

Drew Ossakow

Thinking about Text Messaging? Make sure you have enough fans.

Image via Wikipedia

As technology continues to race forward in the effort to make us all more connected, it is worth noting that several foundations and non-profits have started reaping great rewards from text message giving. The coming out party for this new technology was the Haiti earthquake and the subsequent response from all of America with over $2 million raised from text message giving.

This makes text-message giving a great new way to solicit and engage current and potential donors on national scale. However, I would encourage that any athletics department debating on the merits of mobile giving programs give a good look at the pros and cons of text giving and apply those to their current situation. For most departments, text message giving is a very easy way to raise a quick $5 to $10 from an individual at a sporting event. Yet one must wonder, among other things, if the gift could have been larger from each of these donors.

For the most part, text message programs need a large audience to be successful. The following is a break-even analysis for two text-to-give companies that place their pricing online (Please note that the prices for this analysis are the stated costs on the website of the organizations mGive and Give By Cell. They do not reflect any discounts in pricing or the cost after arrangement of an official contract with either company. Prices are based on minimum agreement lengths).

mGive Foundation

• Prices – $500 for one time set up fee, then $399/month for 12 month minimum. mGive charges $.35 for every text, plus 3.5% of the total raised.
• To break even, one would need 569 texts of $10 or 1,182 texts of $5 over a year.

Give By Cell

• Prices – $500 for one time set up fee, then $49 per month for three months, then $299 per month for next six. Give By Cell charges $.48 for every text.
• To break even, one would need to get 213 texts of $10 or 448 text of $5 over the 9 month period of service.

From the above breakdown, one can see that a large amount of texts are needed to break even on the set-up of text message giving. However, there is an opportunity for increased revenue if a large, captive audience donates through the simple act of texting.

For more information on text-give-programs, visit the Mobile Giving Foundation to learn about the procedures and processes that surround this new and exciting form of technology.

Taylor Wood

Using Technology to Fundraise

Today, university athletic departments are continually looking for unique and innovative ways to alter their fundraising efforts.  Moreover, with the increased ease and prevalence of online giving, many athletic departments are focused around instilling an online component to their campaigns.  Recently, through their partnership with Pursuant Sports, Oregon State unveiled a new website for its athletics fundraising efforts.

For Oregon State Athletics, this new website marks the next phase in their “12,000 by 2012” campaign.  At www.ourbeavernation.com, Oregon State supporters are provided with multimedia video and specifics about the campaign, in addition to online giving capabilities.  Additionally, the website provides a multitude of links to various social media platforms that the BASF is looking to incorporate alongside this campaign.  To a large extent, with this website Oregon State is centering much of its campaign efforts toward new methods of engagement.

With advancements in technology coming everyday, look for more and more university athletic departments to begin to expand into aspects of online giving in the near future.  In fact, to date Pursuant Sports already advertises mobile giving applications as part of their offerings, which may provide a glimpse as to where the next type of innovation with technology in athletics fundraising will occur.

Michael Speight