NCAAbbs

I heard through the grapevine that we've come up with only $250,000 additional dollars since the campaign was announced on August 8. The goal, according to Bill Morris, was to have an additonal $1.5 Million raised in 60 days. Word is that we've raised only 16.67% of that goal in 18 days.

We need to step it up. I implore anyone who has not yet commited to do what they can by the end of September.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200...acilities/

i fully plan on sending mine in next week.

Is there ANY U of M marketing plan for this? Does anyone in the city know about this other than the diehard Tiger fans who frequent this board and attend TSF and HH meetings? Seriously, I would love to know what the University is doing to publicize this. We message board fans cannot be expected to carry the ball all by ourselves.

Have ANY corporate sponsors been personally solicited?

Call the Marketing Department and tell me what they say. I have already had the pleasure of discussing it with them at the Fan Fair.

They raised $1.5 Million from the Ambassadors before they made this public. It's currenlty being marketed by a one inch ad on gotigersgo.com.

People who read the newspaper and watch local TV news. Maybe RC was right to doubt that we could raise the additional $22 million necessary to build a $122,000,000 stadium (which might have a severe cost overrun). Still don't see why we cannot put it on the masterplan (as a sign of good faith).

Have you seen anything since the original announcement? I haven't. The only reason that I knew there were pledge cards available is because of this message boards.

I agree that it certainly can't hurt putting it on a master plan.

Alot of difference could be made based on the first few games.

The coments in this thread are proof that many on this board dont understand much, if anything about athletic fundraising.

If they have raised $250k in the last 18 days then we are doing extremely well. Expecting more than 15-20% of a project such as this to come from your average fan/donor. 250k would be be just shy of 10%(assuming the total cost comes in at $3 mil). That amount in 18 days is a pretty good start.

As for corporate sponsors, trust me, if we were able to raise $1.5 mil just from the Ambassadors in what 8 days? Then I'm pretty sure they are prob working on some sort of corporate deal. The Ambassadors group is full of CEO's and execs, I'm sure they are pitching deals to each and every one of their corporations/companies.

I also agree that a good start to the season will do wonders to speed this thing up. If they can successfully rais $3 million in 60 days then they will be doing very good.

+ 2 for taking the glass 1/2 full approach. We need more positive people enjoying the Tigers instead of looking for something bad around every turn.

I will readily admit that I'm no fundraising expert. However, I can add, subtract, multiply and divide. $250k shy of $3 Million is $50,000 shy of 10%.

I'm not trying to rain on the parade. I'm simply attempting to spur some more activity.

I have absolutely no idea what "they" are expecting out of the rank and file. However, the message conveyed to me is that "they" are disappointed with the results sofar.

does anybody know what type of pledge's they are looking for? I know every little bit helps but being a student and knowing other people who are supportive of the program and what it needs may not have super large dollars to give at this point in time. I've talked to my uncle and some other family members and my uncle first and formost would like to donate but doesn't have say $15000+ that he can pledge right now? anybody have any thoughts or comments (a bit of sarcasm, I know with this board there are always plenty haha)?

I don't understand how someone could post that we've raised 250K and that that is supposed to be a disappointment. That is a GREAT achievement and extremely encouraging. It boggles the mind, especially considering that probably 3/4 of the people that will end up donating don't even know what's going on, and a huge number of people that know about it haven't sent in their pledge cards yet.

$100 or $100,000 or $100,000,000. Tell your uncle to give what he can.

and it's a pledge to be repaid over three years. pledge $1000 and it's $333.33/year or $27.78/month. If all of us pledged $30/month, think of what we could do!

I know a few people who really do not have much extra money at all. They have donated $50 a year for $150 total. Any little bit can help. I know for them that was their max right now.

That's all we need right now, is people giving what they can, no matter how big or small.

If every season ticket holder (18,500 tickets at last count) pledged $100, that would bring in 1.85 million dollars, or well over the 1.5 million we need. Since some folks will give zero, we need some to exceeds $100 to get that $100 average, but any amount is a start.

No one is going to expect a students to fund a great portion of this project. Paying tuition, buying books and paying rent is tough enough while you're a student.

However, numbers are important and as you state, every dollar counts. Just ask yourself if you could contribute $10 a month. That's $120 a year and $360 over the entire 3 year period.......3 students doing that gets $1,000+ in 3 years....30 students gets us $10K in 3 years.......300 students gets us $100,000, etc, etc etc.

Ten dollars per month is a mostly reachable amount for a lot of students. Isn't that about 1 1/2 hours a month at minimum wage?

BTW, your positive thinking as a student is appreciated.

I never believe in the "give until it hurts" program.

This is something that you "give until it feels good". If that is $100 or $100,000, it does not matter. Make the pledge and feel good about what you have done.

We need more awareness.

How about a youtube video of Coach West talking about how important it is to the program? We could make sure that video was prominently displayed on this site.

I'm not sure how to reach the 80% or more of Tiger fans who never read mt.org, but it would HELP if they had a darn online pledge system.

Exactly!!!!

Also, how about a small incentive, like a wall in the weight building that includes painted signatures of all the donors or something symbolic, small, with almost no expense.

Don't just say "go print out a card and mail it to us and give us extra money because we need new weights"

Most people did not get to see Coach West speak about the project. Make it REAL to potential donors. Tell them why it matters, and show that they will be appreciated in some way.

I am not an expert on charitable donations, but can anyone tell me why I have NEVER been approached by the University since I attended there more than 30 years ago to give one red cent?

I have attended numerous athletic and university functions over the years and no one ever asked for my address so they solicit me or encouraged me to donate to anything.

This is just from my vantagepoint as an alum and fan.

In comparison, my other alma mater, Vandy, has solicited me in every way imaginable for 35 YEARS! It's been a constant stream of mail and now e-mail. They invite me to take tours of Europe with alumni groups, to come back for class reunions, to attend alum events in Memphis, and they even had a tailgate party at an Ole Miss-Vandy game where they wined and dined alums and then asked for a donation.

Many colleges do these things to keep a bond with their alums in any way they can. Why doesn't Memphis do it?

I get very frustrated that I don't see our Admin. being more proactive. If that is negative, so be it. And I also don't trust the intentions of Dr. Raines and R.C. one bit.

Does the University have a pledge card, too? The only one I have seen is the one of this board made by a HH member.
Do they have a brochure showing what the weight room will look like and explaining why it is needed? An online pledge system?
Tonight at the HH meeting, someone from the University made a pitch for it with a slide showing how it will look. It was emphasized that this is not something that is just desired, but rather, this is facility that is crucial to our program. It is a MUST HAVE. And then, we will have a campaign for new turf. Our football team had to practice again today at CBHS because the Memphis field was too wet. They had to get in and out of CBHS before the Brothers had to use their own facility, and this was not convenient.
This is unacceptable, and I will ask all the questions it takes to spur the powers that be into action. I have already sent my donation.

The pledge card that has been posted on here is not something made by a HH member. It is the pledge card that the Univesity produced and distributed at the HH Kickoff Banquet where the weightroom project was announced.

The only question I have about this is that with all the people on here bitching and whining about not getting something in the mail, not seeing much about it on the news, not having an online pledge form, ect, ect, ect..how many have actually taken the time to write an email or give a call to RC, The TSF, and/or the Athletic Marketing Office to ask them about these things? If all of us are such great fans and supporters and feel so wronged by these things then stop whining and do something about it!

Perhaps the fund raising effort isn't the best in the world, perhaps it could be promoted better, perhaps we could have a more dynamic President or AD.

Perhaps I could become part of the campaign by promoting it by word of mouth and submit my ideas to make the process a better one when I send my pledge card.

I'm not perfect and neither are the folks I deal with on a daily basis. We all need help, advice, and friiendly councel at times. Let's help our athletic department here, we all know they can use.

Just a thought from one fan.

I'm simply conveying what I was told by someone who knows a lot more than both me and you. These aren't my words.

RC was on the radio this morning for about 20 minutes. He talked about a lot of things, including Elvis and the Cubs. However, he failed to mention this fundraising campaign.

I understand. My comments weren't meant to be smart@#$ in any way and aplogize if they came across that way.

We do need better leadership in some areas, but in the end if we don't get it done, no one will. In the end, we're the ones that suffer through long football seasons if we don't get this done. Coaches, players and admins will come and go. We fans are the only real constant through this.

There are real and emotional reasons why I copied Jeb's comments in my signature, either we do things or no one will. We're a unique breed of fan and it's up to us to close the gap between what the big guys have given and our goal.

Gotcha. Then it applies to anyone that thinks that. Sorry about that.

I guess my belief was that these ideas would be obvious to people who have fund-raising as their primary job responsibility.

Barring that, I had hoped that some of these ideas would be passed along by mt.org posters who have access to these people that I do not have. I guess I was hoping for a groundswell kind of thing.

I agree.

PKP, I stand corrected. The pledge form was designed by the Administration. But that worries me even more, because they didn't even ask for your address on the form. How in the world can they follow up on the pledges? How serious can they be about it?
And if you are referring to me as one of those moaning and whining, I would like you to know I have already sent my check, I have called the University repeatedly, the TSF, R.C. Johnson, and the Marketing Dept. to encourage them to reach out to every Memphian through all the media about this campaign. I also talked to the Marketing table at the Fan Fair. I have also e-mailed the above groups. And I am encouraging all my friends to send a donation, no matter how small.
No, I don't feel "wronged." I do feel our team and coaches are wronged by this do-nothing admin. I just wish R.C. and Marketing would do their jobs. When I called the Marketing Dept. today, I got a recording. How in the heck can the media reach them? Someone should answer the phone at all times during the business day. Roll it over.
And frankly, I do think I am a fantastic fan who has remained optimistic through all the years of our football program. And there are many more fantastic fans just like me!

The bottom line is that we didn't meet the goal of raising the additional $1.5 Million in 60 days. I blame that on lack of awareness (because it wasn't trumpeted by the University) AND lack of participation. Some of the biggest complainers on this board probably didn't pledge a nickel.

Are there still folks that think that $1,500 that was raised/spent on that billboard couldn't have better served the weight room project?

Still here.

I have been doubting, asking questions, making phone calls, e-mailing, and generally bitching since the very inception of the weight room campaign because I do not trust the intentions or the energy of anyone at the U of M involved in this campaign, and that includes Dr. Raines, R.C. Johnson and his Judy, Bill Lansden, and the Marketing Department, Angela McArtor. See my 8-26 post on here and all my subsequent posts. I was skeptical from the get-go and waited and waited and no campaign to the fans or the public was ever launched. Just the Ambassadors and the big wigs.

Some of you are finally waking up to the fact that THERE IS NO MARKETING EFFORT BEING MADE EXCEPT TO THE BIG DONORS.

Unfortunately, my mistrust was justified. I am thrilled the big donors have contributed 2.5 million. I am very grateful to them. I only wonder how much quicker we might have raised the money if there had been any kind of a marketing campaign to the 20,000 season ticket holders, the casual fans in the stands, the thousands of alums in Memphis, the University students, and the citizens of Memphis and this region.

From day one, I became skeptical when the University produced pledge cards with no return addresses. A tenth grader would have done better than that raising funds for a high school team.

So many things could have been done that would have cost little or nothing. For example, no one ever mounted a campaign to have pledge cards available at the games. I know many people who would have volunteered to do that.

Bill Lansden condescendingly told me that marketing campaigns always concentrate on the big donors. But does that mean you totally ignore the smaller donors? Of course, it takes a lot more energy and creativity to go after the small donors, but what is 20,000 times $100?

I have called the appropriate folks at the university. I have prodded, I have begged, I have pleaded, I have asked questions. And because several of us have done that, they have finally made a lame attempt at announcing this at the game last week, our SEVENTH game. There was a short announcement before the half, with black and white wording on the Jumbotron. Wow. But we can have women's soccer videos up there every week.
After many phone calls, R.C. FINALLY began mentioning it on his weekly radio shows.

100 pledges? That is unbelievable. The private schools in this city have done better than that. Look at PDS's new turf field, for gosh sakes! Look at the football fields of MUS and CBHS.

Those of you who cannot give now, I completely understand. But it is a 3-year pledge, and $150 would be just $50 a year.

Just a reminder, you do not need to be a member of the Highland Hundred to come to the meetings. So, if money is tight, just come on out anyway. Be a part of us.

I disagree with the idea that fans should just send in money to their university. That is ludicrous. Any campaign worth its salt has the duty to educate as to the need, show-and-tell the project, ask for specific donations, and then make it EASY to donate.

My other school hounds me with every kind of media for donations, explains in great detail why they need money, creates ways to continue to bond me with the university (trips, reunions, tailgates), and has since the day I graduated in 1973, and mysteriously has a 3.5 BILLION dollar endowment. For some reason, THEY have never lost my address. I have never, not one time been asked directly for a donation to the University of Memphis as an alum. THAT IS DISGRACEFUL.

These folks at the U. work for us. We pay their paychecks, their retirement through our tax dollars. We DO have access to them. Just pick up the phone. When things get a bit heated, they all put their phones on answer mode. But that is okay. Just leave them long messages. Do not allow them to condescend you. Do not allow them to avoid your calls. Do not accept their glib answers. DO NOT TRUST THEM! The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I love the Tigers. These folks just have jobs. There is nothing wrong with bitching and complaining and asking questions until the cows come home if your cause is right. Whose University is it, anyway?

And no, I do not just like to complain. Yes, I do have a life and a job and other interests. But you know what? I refuse to let the turkeys stand in the way of the progress of our football program. I am not going away, so get used to it. I will be polite, but persistent.

We can debate coaches all day long, but until we get decent facilities, we will never have consistent winning, never attract the best coaches or athletes, or get in the BCS.

Tommy West believes this weight room and indoor practice field on decent turf is VITAL to our program. So, I say he should get it.

My ultimate goal is an OCS, for the good of our entire University. The weight room is just a stepping stone. We cannot let them convince us that there is no interest in a football program that is as good as our basketball program simply because they have failed, perhaps intentionally, to mount a campaign for the first part of the improvements. Who is to say what our donations would have been? You don't get it if you don't ask.

Don't you see, this is the result they want? I am not a "crazy conspiracy" woman. I just see what is going on, very clearly. They will kill our program with apathy if we let them.

Quick correction. The whales donated $1.5 Million before RC announced the capital campaig just over two months ago. After that $1 Million has been donated by, apparently, 100 people.

where is the old thread from here where people were claiming to have sent in their pledge cards?

This one? -

http://ncaabbs.com/showthread.php?tid=30...pid3513578

yeah that one.

wow. 102 claims for 100 pledges. 102% of all weight room pledges came from posters at mt.org. WELL DONE!

I got this today. $2.1 million dollars has come from the pledges of 14 people. The rest of the pledges, about $400,000, from the remaining 90 or so.
Much like the income tax system, huh?

$400k divided by 90 people is an average of $4,444.44 per person. My pledge was less than $4,444.44, but I did pledge.

Gotta love the armchair quarterback...clearly you have all the answers and know how to do everyone elses job, which explains why you're a top notch AD, fundraiser, marketer, and probably coach, trainer, play by play man, etc. Yes I joke, and I love your passion. In the past I have volunteered in the athletic department while finishing my degree and just once I think it'd be hilarious to let some of those folks in to do your job. I wonder what you'd have to say then...

There's a reason why OUR teams are respected like we are. Continue to support the programs and push for achievement and strive for success. But also stop pretending you know all the answers and everyone else just must be idiots. As PKP said, we've done an awful lot in the short time since this has started.

I don't have all the answers.

I have done fundraising and been successful at it.

I know laziness when I see it, and idiots, too.

If I let those folks run my business, I would be out of business in one month.

They are public servants, so they are fair game.

And if I asked my plumber to fix my electricity, he couldn't. Again, there is always room for improvement. But I also point to our wild success overall of our programs and the records we're breaking...including fundraising! Check out how much other non-BCS programs are raising these days.

I agree about some over on Normal, lol. They are on the state tab and some are mailing it in, in my opinion. I know that some here agree with me and even take it a step higher. The plan on this is flawed, in my view, and I am interested in seeing if they step it up and work on the average fan. They have relied on the high dollar guys and some of them are openly talking about being asked for too much for their money. Yes, they are fair game.

One thing to remember is that some with egos and/or looking for publicity (maybe for their business) like to be the FIRST to donate...and or the last...which puts the campaign "over the top", i.e. past its goals.

I wouldn't worry after just 18 days...as someone will probably come up with a nice donation before year's end (i.e. helps for tax purposes)...but if the campaign is still short by Jan 1...then you can start to worry...but I wouldn't worry at all till then.

I wonder if some are cloaked $EC fans who just happened to get a job at U of M. Just because they work in the Tiger Ath Dept doesn't mean they actually care. (Some certainly do, don't get me wrong.)

Thanks, Knight. The campaign has been ongoing since at least August. We have missed a hoped-for deadline of 60 days to complete the fundraising.
The whole point is that this is phase one of a project that includes re-turfing our practice fields and then enclosing them. Do you realize that when it rains too much, our fields are too soft to practice on and we have been practicing at a local high school?
We need all three projects completed as quickly as possible, and there has apparently been little, if any, marketing done to anyone other than the big donors. And I have to be concerned: we have knuckleheads running the show.

There is a lot of truth in that statement, but not the truth you want to hear.

As with most problems at our university, there is plenty of blame to go around. No one is pretending to know everything. I think most here are very disappointed, but not really surprised at how this all turned out.

It was setup to fail from day one- to think otherwise is just being intellectually dishonest.