Fundraising - New facilities

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Some Day...Is Coming!

Some Day...Maybe?
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I want the Gophers to upgrade their facilities so bad. They need it really bad, obviously. Consensus worst in the Big Ten.

There are over 5 million people in Minnesota and over 400,000 living U of M graduates.

How about an "I built it" campaign? Shoot for 2 million people to contribute $50.

The U could make a cool website and anyone who donates has their name listed on the website..

Could also design and sell a cool T-shirt that says "I built it" on it. Sell it for $25, however make it so only those that donated at least $50 can buy one.

I think a campaign like this could make a significant contribution to the $190 million goal. It would also tap into the pride of Minnesotans and create more ownership for Minnesotans and their only division 1 football, basketball, and baseball University.

For me, one of the greatest things Coach Kill has done since he arrived here is communicate that he's not going to do it himself, that it's going to take everyone, everyone's support. That this is your team, this is Minnesota's team. That he wants his team to be reflective of Minnesotans.

I think with some marketing and some education toward the people of Minnesota and the Alumni, it would be a great campaign to raise money toward the goal, let people show there pride, and create a strong relationship with the alumni and people of Minnesota toward their only division 1 University.

I graduated from UMD and have lived in AZ for the last 14 years and I would love to be a part of making this happen. I don't have a lot of money, but this way I can contribute something and be a part of something larger, tangible, significant, and long lasting. So when u think about it, there are even more than 5.4 million who have a stake in this.

So to the U, I say educate, market, sell, and involve these people to be a part of something significant. I don't think Minnesotans would want the University of Minnesota to be a consensus worst for athletic facilities. It's our state and it's time the people of Minnesota step up and embrace the University of Minnesota. We have great leadership now in Kaler, Teague, Kill, and Pitino and they deserve our support! That is, if we want to continue and maintain what they have started!

Have a grass roots component to the 190 million and create a sustained campaign to market it to every aspect of Minnesota! The worst that happens is that you raise some money, educate, and create awareness and support. Don't disregard this aspect of the fundraising, it could turn out to be significant. Ok, I got that off my chest, thank you.
 


This isn't a wheel that the U needs to create...the internet has dozens of crowdsourcing options that have the platform built for this kind of social funding option. You can set levels, rewards at each level, accept payments across all platforms, go mobile, provide updates, gather followers and so on.

I did a little (very little) research and could not find an example of a university using this cutting edge tech yet.

Using this kind of platform would garner national exposure for the U in the tech world (and maybe some money) and also reduce the start up costs for the fund raising since the structure already exists.

How cool would it be for the U to announce it's plan to raise $50 million through private donations using a crowdsourcing platform and then actually hit their numbers.

It could look something like this:

$5 - Listed Donor (Everyone gets this along with higher prize)
$25 - Button
$50 - Hat
$100 - T-shirt
$250 - Sweatshirt
$500 - Brick in Wall
$1,000 - Plaque Wall of Honor
$5,000 - Naming rights on "locker, desk"
$10,000 - Naming rights on a Small Room
$100,000 - Naming Rights on a big room
$1,000,000 - Naming rights on floor, field, weight room
$10,000,000 - Naming rights on building
 

I like this approach. I hope that Lou Nanne reads the messages on this website and considers this one of his options in raising the $190 M needed for the improvements.
 

This thread should be linked to Nanne somehow. Great ideas.

My wife and I would be more than willing to give something, but nobody has asked or made an avenue for giving available. My brother and I have seven season tickets so I'm sure him and his family would donate something. My parents are huge Gopher fans, they would give something. I have many Uncles, Aunts and cousins that love the Gophers from all around the state that would give something. Just off the top of my head the U would probably get $1,000 out of our extended family, and that's if they gave just $50.00 each.

Let's get something going, time matters.
 


JoeDirt said:
This thread should be linked to Nanne somehow.
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Agree that there are great points and ideas in this thread, but the notion that Lou and his team haven't thought of this struck me as amusing.

I'll contribute. Get it going.
 

Spoofin said:
Agree that there are great points and ideas in this thread, but the notion that Lou and his team haven't thought of this struck me as amusing.

I'll contribute. Get it going.
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I'm sure hoping they have. But it is the U and their track record of good ideas is less than stellar.

Barriero interviewed Teague on signing day and Norwood made the comment that they haven't really even started the fundraising process yet. I thought "C'mon, let's go and stop F-n' around."
 


Spoofin said:
Agree that there are great points and ideas in this thread, but the notion that Lou and his team haven't thought of this struck me as amusing.

I'll contribute. Get it going.
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I agree and will add that the fact they haven't started it is depressing. Gopher fans should build it. It will give everyone a feeling of ownership in the programs. We should not forget the successful effort that went into building TCF. "Our guys" that are honchoing the project need a gentle wake up call.
 



Good topic. I've said it before, I'd be willing to donate something as well. Even give people the option to make payments if they want. Set it up so you can pay $25 a month for 20 months for example. That's $500 and when you reach that point, you'll get a brick with your name on it in the wall.
 

There is nothing preventing anyone from donating right now. You can call at 8:00 AM tomorrow and donate in any amount over any amount of time. As a bonus, we could help stop the bitching about having to pay for tailgate spots at the same time, as it would apply to that as well.

Oh wait, I meant we want OTHER people to donate THEIR money, other people to take the bull by the horns and get this going. I forgot.

Just do it. We contributed $50 a month for 3 years toward the stadium. That's not $2 a day, less than the cost of a paper and a coffee.
 

highwayman said:
There is nothing preventing anyone from donating right now. You can call at 8:00 AM tomorrow and donate in any amount over any amount of time. As a bonus, we could help stop the bitching about having to pay for tailgate spots at the same time, as it would apply to that as well.

Oh wait, I meant we want OTHER people to donate THEIR money, other people to take the bull by the horns and get this going. I forgot.

Just do it. We contributed $50 a month for 3 years toward the stadium. That's not $2 a day, less than the cost of a paper and a coffee.
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Very true Highwayman, but that is not how $190M gets raised. It takes an organised effort run by someone like Lou. They need to get it rolling.
 

diehard said:
Very true Highwayman, but that is not how $190M gets raised. It takes an organised effort run by someone like Lou. They need to get it rolling.
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Thanks for pointing out what should have been obvious to Highwayman. Hopefully he heard it from way up on his soapbox.
 



The "Minnesota Pride" campaign should be aimed at the common fan & not just the deep pockets guys.

A grass roots $5 or greater campaign can go a long ways to raising $200 million. You need to get the students & fans involved.

Maybe Lou Nanne can convince some of the fat cats to do a matching fun campaign, a dollar for dollar match.

As the Gophers continue to win, so goes the fund raising til.
 

I can see the arguments for a grassroots campaign but I think that that the U will want to start with a splash and momentum. I would think the announcement of some major contributions would be the way they kick things off. They could also do a variation of the "Brick by Brick" campaign 'We've got the foundation now we need bricks"
 

nsmike said:
I can see the arguments for a grassroots campaign but I think that that the U will want to start with a splash and momentum. I would think the announcement of some major contributions would be the way they kick things off. They could also do a variation of the "Brick by Brick" campaign 'We've got the foundation now we need bricks"
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If you are committed to getting it done and confident in your abilities, then why wait for the big hits before you start on the small ones. Lets start getting the $5, $25, $50 & $100 individual contributions going, start building a buzz and also let people start to sign up for time/payment commitments over 2 or 3 or event 10 years. Whatever you can afford and want to give.

Whether you love, hate or are somewhere inbetween on Pres Obama, you can't deny that he was elected on the backs of small internet based fund raising and his model is the model for grass roots fund raising. Honestly, I would have rather had David Axelrod than Lou Nanne running the fund raising...David has done it several times and raised several billion dollars.

Also, if you think the "old" men at the U who run things, including Lou "older than my Dad" Nanne have thoroughly vetted and considered internet fundsourcing and social media based funding you are out of your ever loving mind. Most of these guys just started using email on their phones and are amazed when the wippersnappers are watching live TV on the train on their phone...much less raising tens of millions of dollars by collecting small donations from large groups of people.
 

I'm not arguing with your position, I just don't see the U doing a pure grassroots campaign, announcing a few big contributions first, would give the old men a security blanket.
 

nsmike said:
I'm not arguing with your position, I just don't see the U doing a pure grassroots campaign, announcing a few big contributions first, would give the old men a security blanket.
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I am 100% certain that the U will do it like they always have and we will get the same results we always have and we will maintain our position as the worst facilities in the B1G for the next 30 years like we have for the last 30.
 

Spoofin said:
Thanks for pointing out what should have been obvious to Highwayman. Hopefully he heard it from way up on his soapbox.
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I always like how this turns into the same sort of response. Everyone can donate. Give a couple bucks. It all adds up. Sometimes if a few wealthier folks see that a lot of people are giving a little, they are more apt to step up.

My point is that anyone can contribute. If you can't, fine. But don't complain about how the campaign "hasn't started" or that the U will screw it up.

The stadium drive ended up with a $90M overage. $90M. But we don't know how to fundraise.
 


station19 said:
Where did the 90 M go?
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I think highwayman is misremembering. We did raise $90 mil, but the needed amount was over $85 mil to cover the Universities portion, so we did out raise the amount needed, but only by a few million.

And at the time, I was bitching about why the Athletic department stopped raising money at that point and dismantled the fund raising apparatus. Their goal should be to have every fan on a monthly promise with auto deduction or CC charge. Top schools don't treat fundraising like an event, they treat it like a process. It never begins or ends, it just goes on. Lock people into a recurring promise (that they can afford) and if they can't afford it, keep them in the know so you can ask again when their situation improves.

And I agree with Highwayman's premise that anyone can contribute at anytime and I also live in reality where effective participation starts with the ask and not with the want. Luck favors the bold.
 

Yep. I was thinking about this notion. Why stop fund raising after the practice facility is built. Just keep it constant and ongoing into infinity. People can hop on and off board as life permits.
 

I thought Woody was some big fundraiser? Where are the results and why isn't he spearheading? What does an AD do if they aren't fundraising? Isn't that their main job?
 



I think another great point, and JoeDirt alluded to it, once you get the ball rolling word of mouth helps. You get excited about it and you tell alot of other people about it. You tell friends, family, etc. you become the salesperson. Others see your excitement, genuineness, and sincerity. They become "aware" of what"s going on and want to be a part of it. Passionate fans like us are the U's greatest marketers. I've got 15 to 20 people in my circle that I have educated about Gopher Football the last 3 years, and about half of them iniated conversions with me this past season about Gopher Football. Then, you wonder who they are talking to about Gopher Football? It's a chance to be part of something bigger, tangible, and lasting.
 

GopherinPhilly said:
If you are committed to getting it done and confident in your abilities, then why wait for the big hits before you start on the small ones. Lets start getting the $5, $25, $50 & $100 individual contributions going, start building a buzz and also let people start to sign up for time/payment commitments over 2 or 3 or event 10 years. Whatever you can afford and want to give.

Whether you love, hate or are somewhere inbetween on Pres Obama, you can't deny that he was elected on the backs of small internet based fund raising and his model is the model for grass roots fund raising. Honestly, I would have rather had David Axelrod than Lou Nanne running the fund raising...David has done it several times and raised several billion dollars.

Also, if you think the "old" men at the U who run things, including Lou "older than my Dad" Nanne have thoroughly vetted and considered internet fundsourcing and social media based funding you are out of your ever loving mind. Most of these guys just started using email on their phones and are amazed when the wippersnappers are watching live TV on the train on their phone...much less raising tens of millions of dollars by collecting small donations from large groups of people.
Click to expand...

I agree that the Obama Campaigns demonstrated the effectiveness of small dollar online contributions, and I strongly believe that the Athletic Department should launch an online small donor campaign to help fund the sports facilities plan. And it may come as a shock to you, but I'm 73 and have mastered email and a few other things, such as how to stream a sports event on my smart phone.
 

Tulane Did this for their New Stadium and it Worked, it got Funded

GopherinPhilly said:
This isn't a wheel that the U needs to create...the internet has dozens of crowdsourcing options that have the platform built for this kind of social funding option. You can set levels, rewards at each level, accept payments across all platforms, go mobile, provide updates, gather followers and so on.

I did a little (very little) research and could not find an example of a university using this cutting edge tech yet.

Using this kind of platform would garner national exposure for the U in the tech world (and maybe some money) and also reduce the start up costs for the fund raising since the structure already exists.

How cool would it be for the U to announce it's plan to raise $50 million through private donations using a crowdsourcing platform and then actually hit their numbers.

It could look something like this:

$5 - Listed Donor (Everyone gets this along with higher prize)
$25 - Button
$50 - Hat
$100 - T-shirt
$250 - Sweatshirt
$500 - Brick in Wall
$1,000 - Plaque Wall of Honor
$5,000 - Naming rights on "locker, desk"
$10,000 - Naming rights on a Small Room
$100,000 - Naming Rights on a big room
$1,000,000 - Naming rights on floor, field, weight room
$10,000,000 - Naming rights on building
Click to expand...

Tulane needed about $200M for their new stadium (moving from the Superdome to an on campus stadium -- sound familiar...), and they did what you laid out. Now that they've got the funding the website has changed so the small ticket contributions are gone, but here's a link showing a few of the bigger ticket items that got sold along with a few that still are available. http://yulmanstadium.com/contribute/the-campaign-for-home-field-advantage/
 

Maybe the players can go door to door selling chocolate bars. ;)

Actually I think the original poster is on to something. It's fundraising time at MPR and the U could take some cues from them. Perhaps some of the big doners would do matching programs for limited periods of time.
 

highwayman said:
I thought I read that they used it for academic scholarships for the rest of the student body.
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I don't remember us raising $90 mil over what we needed, I remember us raising $90 mil when we only needed about $88 mil and remaining couple of mil went into the general athletic fund. If you can find an article that says we raised $180 mil from private donations I will stand corrected, but all I could find was that we needed to raise $88 mil to cover the university costs that weren't covered by naming rights, student fees, parking. This $90 mil included T. Denny's 6 mil and the Sioux Tribe's $10 mil (they also matched $2.5 mil for academic scholarships for American Indians).

Regardless, my issue isn't with how much we raised, its that after we hit our number we dismantled the fund raising apparatus.
 

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