TCU Baseball Leverages Celebrity Appearance at Annual Banquet

The Texas Christian University Baseball team will host its 7^th annual First Pitch Banquet on Friday, February 5^th. Current ESPN analyst and former Texas Ranger and New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine will make a guest appearance at the event along with the members of the 2010 TCU baseball team.

The First Pitch Banquet includes a silent auction and reception dinner to benefit the TCU baseball program. The cost of registration is $100 per seat, with all support being used to offset scholarship, equipment, and travel aide expenses. The banquet serves as the signature event for the baseball team each year.

The majority of athletic departments allocate a large portion of their annual donations to supporting the general scholarship fund, offsetting yearly scholarship costs for all varsity sports. The TCU baseball team illustrates how individual teams can also contribute to raising money for their program. The First Pitch Banquet is a great example of using an event to cultivate, solicit, and steward avid baseball supporters, as well as strengthen fans’ relationships with the coaching staff and players. Additionally, leveraging relationships with celebrities like Bobby Valentine will help create an unforgettable experience for all who attend the event. This unique, targeted approach will continue to pay dividends for both the baseball team and the athletic department.

by Matt Kirinovic

Women at Play Fundraiser Event

Athletics Development Frontier has reported previously about how schools are cultivating female donors and engaging their former female athletes.  Kent State recently received a large gift from former associate athletics director, Judy Devine, and several universities use football clinics dedicated to women to build excitement for their football programs.  At the University of Northern Iowa, the Panther Scholarship Club is using Comedy as their medium to attract female donors and support the nine women’s athletics teams on campus.

On Friday, January 29, the athletics department will host an evening event at the local Joker’s Comedy Club in Cedar Falls Iowa featuring comedian Rex Havens.  The event, which includes a VIP reception, a silent auction, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and spirits, and a night of guaranteed laughs, is put on entirely to support women’s athletics at UNI.  Tickets, which cost $40 ($45 at the door), are available to the public and all proceeds from the event go to the Women at Play Endowment, the UNI female student-athlete scholarship fund.

The night’s events are a fantastic example of creativity within a development department and a unique attempt at growing a female donor base.  With six years of history, the Women at Play Fundraiser Event does not show any signs of slowing.

Rob Norris

Two Teams, One Goal

The economic woes that have injured so many athletic departments across the nation have been especially crippling in the state of California.  According to the New York Times, California education has been hit with an $8.1 billion cut in funding this year, and next year is expected to be worse.  At California State University, Fullerton, the funding cuts have caused their athletics department to consider cutting sports, including women’s gymnastics.  After being told they would need to raise at least $280,000 to keep the program afloat, the program team had their hands full.

The team was able to reach their goals thanks in part to creativity and dedication by their head coach, Jill Hicks.  In an interesting demonstration of thinking outside the box and utilizing personal relationships, Fullerton teamed up with UCLA for a benefit gymnastics exhibition with proceeds benefiting only CSUF.  This remarkable display of goodwill by UCLA did not stop with their appearance.  Bruins head coach Valorie Kondos Field also arranged for 5-time gold medalist Nastia Liukin to participate in the exhibition which attracted fans from all over southern California.

Combined with a pre-event banquet with Liukin at $400 per plate, the day’s events raised almost $30,000 for the gymnastic program which was on the brink just months ago.  This event demonstrates how coaches can use their relationships with larger programs to team up for a truly philanthropic event and save a program.  Time will tell if gymnastics will continue at Cal State Fullerton in the years to come, but efforts and creativity like this demonstrate how departments must think outside the box during difficult fundraising environments.

For a video recap of the event, click here.

Rob Norris

Bowl travel packages provide engagement possibilities

Two Big Ten schools heading to BCS Bowl Games are setting up Bowl Tours for donors and alumni. Ohio State has created the Exclusive Buckeye Club Rose Bowl Tour for its first trip to the Pasadena bowl game since 1997. Iowa has set up two different packages for its Orange Bowl appearance, UI Alumni Association Tour and another through the Winebrenner Red Carpet Travel Tour.

Ohio State’s Exclusive Buckeye Club Rose Bowl Tour is a trip designed for Buckeye Club members that will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The package includes flight from Columbus to Los Angeles, hotel accommodations, tickets to the Rose Bowl Game and Parade, and exclusive tours on-site. The tour also includes tickets to Buckeye Bash Pep Rally and a New Year’s Eve Reception. Uniglobe Travel Designers is organizing the trip for the Buckeye Club.

The Hawkeyes’ second trip to the Orange Bowl since 2003 is being accompanied by two packages aimed at two groups. The UI Alumni Association Tour is targeted at Iowa alumni. The Alumni Association Tour is serving alumni throughout the state with three different departure cities (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Moline). The Winebrenner Red Carpet Travel Tour is positioned more towards the average Hawkeye fan. This package allows travelers to choose from seven Miami-area hotels and includes rates for both air and land travel.

Many schools do bowl packages to some extent for donors and alumni. Some schools use bus trips while other plan out every detail of the trip. Bowl games provide a great opportunity to encourage donations from enthusiastic supporters, the key is setting up the best travel accommodations to do so.

by Sean Phifer

Cincinnati Referral Program a Success

As university annual fund directors seek for new ways to build membership and generate new money, several universities are turning to referral programs to provide a boost. At the University of Cincinnati, the Each One Reach One New Member Referral program has provided such a boost for UCATS (University of Cincinnati Athletic Team Support).

Since its inception in late August, the Each One Reach One program has enticed current UCATS members to reach out to their personal network and refer new prospects to the UCATS annual fund. Current members who bring in a new member are eligible for drawings and prizes such as autographed memorabilia, UC clothing, sideline passes, and increased priority point rewards. As a result, in just a few short months, the Each One Reach One program has welcomed 165 new members and raised over $22,400. The leading Each One Reach One donor was able to secure 24 new members in the short timeframe, and was rewarded with the use of the athletics directors suite for an upcoming home basketball game.

This program at Cincinnati is yet another example of how annual fund directors can use current donors and appropriate incentives to grow their membership.  The model at UC is simple enough that this type of program could be implemented at just about university.

by Rob Norris

SpectacUALR Results

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock recently held their inaugural SpectacUALR event, a silent auction and awards ceremony to benefit UALR Athletics. The event (held in their newly constructed Jack Stephens Center) featured two main objectives, recognize alumnus Annette Fisher as the SpectacUALR Honoree and raise money for UALR Athletics.

Both objectives were met in tremendous fashion during the event which saw over 500 attendees and $180,000 raised to support the athletic department and their honored guest. The funds were raised in a variety of ways as the event promoted ticket sales, corporate partnerships, and a silent auctions. Surprisingly, $100,000 of the revenue generated was from the former two, and not silent auctions (as most benefit banquets do).

ULAR’s new approach to a banquet event shows that auction items are not the only revenue generator for athletics departments looking for big event results. Corporate partners and the ticket office can cash in on the goodwill created by a large benefit event. With UALR hosting the event in their own facility, the costs were certainly kept at a minimum. Their event shows that successful banquets and auctions should not be exclusively for donors, but for corporate sponsors and ticket holders as well.

Division III rivals use mascots to fuel competition

Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster, long-time rivals in Division III athletics and the North Coast Athletic Conference, are staging the Mascot Face-Off to engage students and alumni. The competition involves voting for each Ohio school’s respective mascot, the Wittenberg Tiger and the Wooster Scot, on a centralized website. The voting started on October 26 and will last until November 14. While increasing school spirit is the main objective of the campaign, the schools are also using the competition as a way to generate donations to each school’s annual fund. With buttons from the competition website linking to each online giving page, distant alumni can vote for their favorite mascot and make a donation in one visit.

The competition is using many social media avenues to promote the campaign to the wide-ranging alumni base. The homepage features YouTube videos of each school’s Dean of Students encouraging support from site visitors as well as videos by spirited students promoting the involvement of their fellow classmates. The competition also promotes each school’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, which promote the Mascot Face-Off. The challenge also features an RSS feed that gives subscribers regular updates about the competition.

This is a great example of using a rivalry to generate donations from donors. While many development departments use rivalries in everyday competition, but this campaign is unique as the two schools are working together to generate donations for the respective schools. Schools at every level could benefit from this Division III example.

Bradley combines the excitement of preseason basketball with auction gala

Bradley University leveraged their opening basketball season to help promote an auction designed to be Bradley’s largest fundraising event of the year. The Bids for the Braves Athletic Benefit allowed committed donors and fans the opportunity to purchase $90 tickets to attend the event.

The evening featured a live and silent auction featuring many donated gifts from around the community. The men’s and women’s basketball teams were introduced during the evening and patrons had the opportunity to mingle with them throughout. The gala was held at the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino Ballroom off campus.

Often in athletics development, events are looked upon as more “friendraising” than “fundraising” opportunities. However, special evenings that encourage mass participation and include a large amount of donated items allow the athletics department to generate revenue through dinner tickets and auctions. These events are especially effective when they can be combined with the opening of a season or another exciting activity within the department.

Athletics and Halloween!

Any successful athletics department will be a active member of their community and seek ways to engage fans with events that take place off the athletic field or court. Specifically, donors appreciate efforts made to bring fans together in ways that are family friendly and involve interaction with coaches and players.

Several universities are taking advantage of a unique fall holiday, Halloween, and incorporating it into an event that will please supporters and the community.

LSU Halloween BOOzar: The week before Halloween, LSU is hosting a free trick-or-treat event for families that will provide children and adults the opportunity to meet various LSU athletes. The free event will also allow guests to participate in activities and get player autographs.

Northern Illinois University Husky Halloween Bash: The Bash will take place on Halloween, between the home football and volleyball games at NIU. The event is free to all, and those who come dressed will be granted admission to the night volleyball game as well. Men’s and women’s basketball team members will be handing out candy, and NIU 2009 hall of fame members will also be recognized during the event.

Vanderbilt: Special pre-game activities on Saturday before the home football game against Georgia Tech are sure to guarantee increased children attendance. Trick-or-treating, carnival rides, live music, and autographs from the basketball teams will highlight the events, and guests can bring as much candy as they can carry into the stadium.

These events, while unlikely to bring in a wave of gifts, do provide plenty of goodwill in the community, provide family opportunities to get involved with student-athletes, and bring supporters to campus for reasons other than a sporting event. In the long run, the gifts may come as supporters become to feel more connected to the university and athletics.

Syracuse Orange Club and Lexus team up on football tent

The Syracuse Orange Club has partnered up with Burdick Lexus for a uniqie sponsorship.

The Syracuse Orange Club has partnered with a local Lexus dealership to sponsor its pre-game tent for football games this football season. The Burdick Lexus Orange Club Tent deal was created by Syracuse ISP and allows Lexus to reach a target customer group in its market. The tent, which is located in the Football Family Fun Zone on the University Quad, is open before every Syracuse home game. Orange Club members are given the opportunity to test drive a Lexus and be entered for a chance to win an Orange Fan Package or a Carrier Dome sideline experience by entering the tent.

Many other schools could reach a similar partnership with its sponsorship sales team and fundraising department. By allowing exclusive access to the donors through sponsorship of their hospitality tent, the corporations are gaining exposure to an affluent demographic, while donors receive special opportunities for being a part of the fundraising annual giving club.