The cost for Gold Mail is relatively inexpensive. According to the company’s pricing page it is $10 per month for businesses and offers unlimited messages up to 10 minutes in length. It also includes reporting and tracking information to see who viewed your message and which links were clicked. Based on a case study provided by the company a non-profit they showcased saw an increase in donations from e-mail communication by 6%.

The product that Gold Mail offers has potential use within athletics development. Whether it’s for an annual fund drive, marketing spring coaches caravan events, or promoting capital campaigns the personalized voice and picture messaging can make your point easier to convey. This is not something that can be used in all situations, but if done strategically as a follow up to an initial conversation could make an impact on the effectiveness of donor communication.  There is a little bit of a learning curve, but there is a feature where you can make the presentation in Powerpoint and upload it to the Gold Mail server which can make the process easier.

Drew Ossakow

Football Indoor Facility Rendering

Recently, Memphis Athletics and the Tiger Scholarship Fund kicked off a campaign aimed at enhancing the school’s football program.  The Vision for Victory campaign will look to raise $10 million which will be used towards the construction of a 74,000 square foot indoor practice facility as well as improvements for part of the Murphy Athletic Complex.  Earlier this summer, the school hosted an event where they publicly announced the campaign which included special guest speakers such as former Tigers running back DeAngelo Williams, Memphis Head Football Coach Larry Porter, and legendary coach Lou Holtz.  The 1,200 Memphis donors, football season ticket holders, and former letterwinners in attendance were able to listen to each of the speakers describe the need to increase support for the football program.  The organizers of the event also showed this excellent case for support video which was created by Running Pony Productions.

As of June 2011, the school has raised over $1.2 million and has assembled an executive campaign committee that will aide in securing donors for this project.  The committee includes Isaac Bruce and DeAngelo Williams, both former Tiger football stars, who will serve as honorary national chairs.  To further publicize Vision for Victory, the Tiger Scholarship Fund created a campaign specific website which includes the Vision brochure, naming opportunities, and progress chart.

This campaign is a clear signal that the school is serious about enhancing the football program and is also a part of the University’s overall $250 million capital campaign.  Once construction is complete, Memphis will have some of the premier practice and completion venues in Conference USA and the country.

Drew Ossakow

The first ever “TAF Playmaker Summer Camp Event” received rave reviews from those that organized the event and those that attended.  It not only offered donors behind the scenes access into the full Green Wave experience, it also afforded the opportunity for current student-athletes to meet those that support them.  The Playmaker Summer Camp event also allowed Tulane Athletics supporters to see how their donations make an impact in a multitude of areas.

This event was a part of the TAF’s The Playbook Campaign, which is geared toward enhancing the football program.  Since Hurricane Katrina’s impact on the Tulane athletic program, a “playbook” was developed by the Tulane University president and athletic director on how to return the Green Waves to full-time Division I status.  This fall will mark that return, as the school will introduce Women’s Sand Volleyball and Women’s Bowling which will bring Tulane’s varsity sport count to 16, the required amount by the NCAA for a Division I institution.  In the playbook, the school makes a case for support to potential donors on the need to upgrade many aspects of the Tulane football program.  The needs outlined contain expanding academic services for the football team and facility upgrades, which includes a new football stadium.

It is apparent how much hard work has gone into The Playbook Campaign as it serves a vital need for Tulane athletics.  TAF has creatively branded this campaign, which even includes unique giving levels that tie in football season tickets, as well as provided innovative donor communication materials.  The Playbook Campaign provides a great example for any development office or athletic department that is looking to transform their football program.

Drew Ossakow

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

A rendering of the Moody Coliseum renovation.

This past week, SMU announced the second of two major gifts designated to the Moody Coliseum Renovation. The first, a $20 million gift from the Moody Family Foundation, was the leadership donation needed to start the renovation campaign. Then, just 8 days later, the school announced a $10 million gift from David & Carolyn Miller toward the same renovation project.

The athletics department has raised $30 million of the planned $40 million price tag for the coliseum, with a construction start date yet to be scheduled. With construction projects being shelved all across the nation due to budget cuts and stagnant credit markets, having 3/4 of the project goal raised will ensure the completion of the project and provide significant momentum for raising the remaining $10 million.

In fact, this kind of support is remarkable. Not many schools and athletics departments have had the pleasure of announcing 8-figure gifts a little over a week apart. No doubt SMU had many visits with the benefactors prior to the releases, but by coupling the announcements in such short order, the school has shown its other donors that they are committed to making the project a reality.

Taylor Wood

The rendering for the new pool at Denison.

The phrase “facilities arms race” is typically reserved for describing the rivalry amongst BCS level schools as they try to keep the quality of their facilities ahead of the competition.  However, as explained in a recent Columbus Dispatch article, smaller colleges and universities are pushing for the construction or enhancement of campus recreational buildings in an attempt to lure more students to their schools.  According to information from the article, approximately 80 institutions across the US are working on building or are expanding their recreational sports facilities.  The total expenditures are expected to reach $1.7 billion with an average project costing $13.2 million.

The article focuses on Denison University and Ohio Wesleyan University as OWU recently opened a new $10 million rec center and DU is moving forward with a $38.5 million expansion of their current facility.  For the Big Red, the facility construction broke ground this fall after the announcement of the lead $7 million gift that was given by a former Denison basketball player.  The new recreational center will feature an Olympic size pool, an athletic training suite, athletics hall of fame, athletic department offices, and a two story fitness center. Renderings of the new Mitchell Recreation and Athletics Center, which is set to open in the spring of 2013, can be found here.

Ohio Wesleyan’s Meek Aquatics and Recreation Center, which opened this past fall, is the first of its kind in the Delaware, OH community.  The planners for the building wanted to put an emphasis on sustainability and made sure this building was environmentally friendly.  This is why the 25 yard by 25 yard pool features a geothermal energy system, reflective clay-tile roof, and low-VOC building materials.  According to Bill Preble, vice president for enrollment at OWU, he believes the new pool shows potential students their “commitment to the student experience”. The Dispatch also mentioned that the new pool is the first part of a long term strategy to upgrade more OWU athletics facilities.

The perceived athletics facility competition between these schools is not unique to central Ohio.  However, its interesting to note that Ohio State finished a $140 million, 570,000 square foot recreation center, and Kenyon University, a Division III school in Gambier, OH opened a $70 million facility both since 2005.  According to Scott Hirko, chairman of the commission for recreation and athletics of the American College Personnel Association, the facilities race is no longer exclusive to the Division I level.  Smaller schools will continue to join in on building new athletics complexes as they aim to increase enrollment and add value to their campus as the competition to attract both in-state and out-of-state students continues to go up. Many of these smaller athletics departments can expect to benefit from these arrangements.

Drew Ossakow

Two weeks ago, Temple supporters were encouraged to come by the Fox-Gittis Room during any time of either game and mark their place in Temple history.  Supporters who stopped by the Fox-Gittis Room were asked to put their signature on a 15 foot steel beam that will go into the construction of the new athletic facilities at Temple University.  Overall, this action by Temple University Athletics sheds light on the construction of a $13.5 million basketball practice facility for both men’s and women’s basketball teams.

At the event, members of the Owls athletic development staff were on hand to provide information and answer any questions on the upcoming capital improvements to Temple Athletics.  In general, the signing of a steel beam is a creative way to draw attention to capital improvements and provides a great touch point to Temple supporters.  In showcasing the impact financial support can have on athletics facilities, an athletic department provides itself with an overall boost to any and all athletic development operations.

Michael Speight

In what may be the best development story of the year, Ndamukong Suh, a projected Top 5 NFL Draft pick, announced this past weekend that he will donating $2.6 million to both Nebraska Athletics and the College of Engineering. $2 million will be earmarked for renovations to the football training complex, while $600,000 will got to the College of Engineering.

In discussions about the gift, Suh wants the donation to go towards the strength and conditioning of future Nebraska student-athletes. As a player, Suh was able to become one of the more dominant football players in recent memory playing defensive tackle. He wants to give the same opportunities to future Huskers. The $2.6 million is the largest gift ever from a former student-athlete to theUniversity of Nebraska.

While a large portion of the gift will go to athletics, $600,000 will be used to endow a scholarship for the College of Engineering, with preference being given to students coming from Suh’s home high school in Portland. An excellent student, Suh was able to maintain a 3.0 while competing at the highest level in college football.

This story is an excellent example of what can happen with a former student-athlete who has had a tremendous experience on campus. While most student-athletes wait a few years before giving back, Suh has taken it a step further and raised the bar by giving before he even plays a down in the NFL. This remarkable story speaks volumes about both the University of Nebraska and Ndamukong Suh.

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Taylor Wood

In these update videos, they have an athletics department personality talk about the expansion and update donors on the progress of the construction. This interactive approach is in many ways better than a picture gallery or a webcam because it puts the viewer in the stadium with a personal tour.

Videos are a great way to engage your donor clients and keep those who donated to the project in the loop on the construction of the facility. This keeps all fans of Alabama Athletics in the loop on this high profile, high interest project, generating buzz amongst the fan base.

Special thanks to Brian Gainor for sending along information about this project.

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Baseball at a lot of schools can be an afterthought, but Arkansas State has invested quite a bit of money in its program in recent years with its $250,000 stadium upgrade. The Red Wolf Club is showing off these renovations to local area businesses that have already shown an interest in ASU Athletics. Bringing the business to the games along with 50 employees or clients allows the Red Wolf Club development staff to get in front of Jonesboro area citizens within its upgraded stadium.

While not every school has the facility options that Arkansas State does, these events brings in supporters from local area businesses engaged in the football program to a baseball game. Tying it in with a successful football program that has community buy-in increases its chances of success.

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Sean Phifer