Donations

[Walter White]

It's politics that is keeping it from happening. I don't have the time to explain Amd 23 and TABOR to you. You'll have to take my word for it. Or don't. I don't really care if you believe me or not, but do me a favor and stop arguing the point. CU is never going to get adequate funding from the state. That ship has sailed. It's a non-starter. We need to concentrate on generating funds elsewhere.

Alternatives are slim outside of govt. and/or mega $$ alums.

 

[Walter White]

Personally, I don't see why anyone would donate to their school unless and until they have the cost of their own children's education completely funded.

 

[Quattro]

Personally, I don't see why anyone would donate to their school unless and until they have the cost of their own children's education completely funded.

Oh give me a break

 

[Walter White]

Oh give me a break

Ok. I'll give you a break.

 

[sackman]

Alternatives are slim outside of govt. and/or mega $$ alums.

Seriously?

Are you aware of the $1.5B capital campaign they currently have underway? Or the fact that it's apparently reached teh $1.2B level already?

Honestly, the idea that government is our savior is frightening to me.

 

[Walter White]

Seriously?

Are you aware of the $1.5B capital campaign they currently have underway? Or the fact that it's apparently reached teh $1.2B level already?

Honestly, the idea that government is our savior is frightening to me.

for the record, i'm a conservative, but aren't we talking about a public institution?

how is my statement wrong? i said alternatives are govt. and big $ alum/donors

plus, there is a difference between operating shortfalls and capital projects

lastly, isn't the $1.5 b capital campagin for the entire CU system?

 

[sackman]

CU gets something like 5% of it's operating budget from public funds. That number isn't going up. I don't know what else to say to you. There isn't the political will to do it. In any event I think that the CU administration would rather that number be zero so long as it allows them the flexibility to do other things without the state dictating to them how they operate.

 

[Uncle Ken]

I read on this board quite often about how generous allbuff donators are to the University and how they feel let down by CU because they don't see a tangible impact being made by their contributions. I found this article very interesting, and it may shed some light on why the other PAC-12 schools are upgrading their programs while we have no immediate plans. I'm not offering a solution because I don't know the magic words to get alumni to open their wallets, but I think the article goes a long way in identifying the problem plaguing Buffalo athletics the last seven years.

http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_21814392/cu-boulder-aims-double-rate-alumni-giving-by

This isn't your first post that has convinced me that you work for the University. I'm going to continue on, assuming that you do, so don't worry about denying it. We all know, already.

I don't have the same anger that a lot of others do toward CU. I love it, and visit about 10 times a year--mostly for my work which requires me to interface with CU Professors (which I prefer to do in person, 'cause I love Boulder).

Also, the man boobs remarks at the end of the article aren't submarining our University's (and Athletic Department's) image. Hiring an unqualified Head Coach and giving up 35 points to Fresno State in one quarter is doing that. Don't misplace the blame--the remarks after articles are always embarrassing. That's consistent. Plus, did you see the size of the guy's man boobs? Seriously, Daily Camera, if you post that picture, it's going to get that kind of attention.

But, please get back to your bosses and tell them two things from Orr:

1. Please let us know where this money is going. That's a pretty simple request. If he wants to double the number of donors to the University, the Chanellor should at least tell us why. Vision is the cornerstone of leadership. What's the vision here (aside from doubling the number of Donors...for what cause?)?

2. Football matters. It's our shared link to our past and to our future. It gives a reason to be excited about our school. Is it right? Of course it's not right, it's ridiculous and barbaric. But your boss has to accept that it "just is".

I have a buddy who is trying to organize an alumni event centered around the University of Washington Game. Guess what? Interest is waning. He can't get anybody here because of the embarrassing state of our football program.

Invest in it, and I'm confident that those investments will be returned.

Game days are about engagement. And excitement. Those are two key ingredients to donations. Engagement and Excitement. If you eliminate those, it's an uphill slog.

Please pass along for me. Thanks in advance.

 

[Walter White]

CU gets something like 5% of it's operating budget from public funds. That number isn't going up. I don't know what else to say to you. There isn't the political will to do it. In any event I think that the CU administration would rather that number be zero so long as it allows them the flexibility to do other things without the state dictating to them how they operate.

ok, so what are your alternatives?

 

[Walter White]

CU gets something like 5% of it's operating budget from public funds. That number isn't going up. I don't know what else to say to you. There isn't the political will to do it. In any event I think that the CU administration would rather that number be zero so long as it allows them the flexibility to do other things without the state dictating to them how they operate.

Do you think there was great political will with the 25 million residents of Texas to have Baylor included in the Big 12? Of course not, it was a backroom deal with powerful BU alum. I hear what you're saying, but that's what CU needs.

 

[Deleted member 807]

CU gets something like 5% of it's operating budget from state funds. That number isn't going up. I don't know what else to say to you. There isn't the political will to do it. In any event I think that the CU administration would rather that number be zero so long as it allows them the flexibility to do other things without the state dictating to them how they operate.

This is a minor, but essential FIFY.
CU Boulder gets almost 23% of its funding from the federal govenment in the form of grants and projects. Tuition and fees contribute about 43%.

http://www.colorado.edu/pba/budget/currfundsbudget/revhistory.html

 

[Junction]

CU gets something like 5% of it's operating budget from public funds. That number isn't going up. I don't know what else to say to you. There isn't the political will to do it. In any event I think that the CU administration would rather that number be zero so long as it allows them the flexibility to do other things without the state dictating to them how they operate.

There also isn't the $$$$$$$ to do it. The state budget isn't going to get any prettier as the cost of meeting mandates from the feds keeps rising. I guess if the will was there they could try to roll back TABOR, raise taxes and use that money to backfill all the other holes in the state budget, and increase funding to CU. I'll agree with you that the political will to bend reality to make that a possibility isn't there...

 

[Duff Man]

Do you think there was great political will with the 25 million residents of Texas to have Baylor included in the Big 12? Of course not, it was a backroom deal with powerful BU alum. I hear what you're saying, but that's what CU needs.

A backroom deal is not possible with TABOR constraints. Not sure how much clearer this point needs to be made, but CU with TABOR constraints is not at all analogous to Baylor getting a Big 12 invite.

 

[Deleted member 807]

Serious question - what would make you feel appreciated for your donation?

I am going to explain why I donate. Then I'll response to what makes me feel appriciated for my donation.

Why I donate:
I give to CU because of what CU has given me. About a third of my undergrad tuition was covered by a CU scholarship. One of CU's programs took an interest in me. I benefited from the program. I seek to provide a return on that investment by supporting that program with regular donations.

I am aware of how dependent universities are on private funding. Universities with the biggest endowments are generally superior to those with smaller endowments. I have a vested interest in supporting CU and helping the university be the best school it can be. I'm a competitive person, and it chaps me to see other universities ahead of CU. The best schools have enormous endowments, high tuition rates, and great faculty. A school like Stanford or Harvard can recruit talented students and reward them with scholarship dollars. They also endow professorships, and graduate people who go on to do great things. I'm not saying CU will ever have tens of billions of dollars in their endowment fund, but for CU to claim prestige, the bigger the endowment, the better the school will be.

I donate to the athletic department because of the manditory donation that comes with buying season tickets. I buy season tickets to help CU provide a platform for athletes to showcase their skills. I was blessed to be in school during the championship year and feel a cultural obligation to help pass that experience forward to students on campus today. I also ran XC and track and have a soft spot for supporting CU's incredible tradition of running excellence.

What would make me feel appriciated for my donation?
#1 - address me correctly. I am not Mrs Skidmark nor Ms Skidmark. Use "Mr." whenever you call or write me. I've had this discussion with CU more than once. Get your **** together.

#2 - Don't treat me like a cash machine. I expect to be kept informed about what is going on around campus and inside the programs that receive my contributions.

#3 - Acknowledge my gifts. CU has been really good about this. I keep every response for tax purposes.

#4 - respect my opinion. Seek feedback that goes beyond "I'd like to validate your contact information." Ask me what I think. Ask for my input, survey or otherwise. Then let me know what is important. Respond to my communications in something other than a standard form letter. Surprise me every once in a while by doing something that makes me want to say, "wow, these people at CU really get it." Give me an opportunity to participate, when appropriate. Some of my favorite CU experiences have come long after I graduated. I enjoyed tremendously the opportunity to participate on scholarship selection panels and meet some future students and some of the hard working people that makes CU tick.

#5 help me show off my CU pride. Let me choose between a shirt or hat or auto emblem or mug or stationary or some selection of gifts. Make the gift special, and not something that can be purchased online or at the bookstore.

#6 show excellence in everything CU does. Recognize that my #1 reason to be on CU's campus involves paying for a football ticket, getting on an airplane, and maybe using a vacation day to enjoy a CU gameday. Do whatever it takes to make that experience special. Frankly, when CU has losing seasons, game day in Boulder can become toxic with people who are legitimately bitter and disappointed by the product on the field. Watching CU get blown out only compounds petty little annoynaces like poor cell phone coverage, lack of beer in the concession areas, and miserable traffic in and out of Boulder. Winning fixes a lot. Habitual losing keeps me from making an extraordinary effort to stay connected.

 

[Gary Indiana]

This isn't your first post that has convinced me that you work for the University. I'm going to continue on, assuming that you do, so don't worry about denying it. We all know, already.

Ha, no not an employee of the University, just a soon to be alumnus who is concerned and disheartened with the level of negativity directed toward the University since I joined the message boards. I sincerely feel that the blame lies with me for misunderstanding what I was signing up for with Allbuffs. I am beginning to realize that my views of the University diverge from the norm on the boards. Those views being that I would much rather see CU become an academically elite public school (i.e. Cal, Michigan, UCLA, Wash, Virginia) with a better than average athletics program. My guess is that most members of allbuffs hold a directly opposing view, and again, this is my issue for joining a sports site without checking the temp of the water. I would love to see CU take on the model of Cal and VA and concentrate on academia while also operating an above-par athletic system that produces wins and NFL caliber talent (A. Rodgers, J. Best) but maybe isn't competing for NC that often. There are very few institutions who can do both (USC, ND) and if a trade-off is necessary I will pick academia 100% of the time and I feel this is why you believe I am a "CU spy" but it is simply a difference in goals. Neither of us right or wrong just hold different opinions.

 

[sackman]

Ha, no not an employee of the University, just a soon to be alumnus who is concerned and disheartened with the level of negativity directed toward the University since I joined the message boards. I sincerely feel that the blame lies with me for misunderstanding what I was signing up for with Allbuffs. I am beginning to realize that my views of the University diverge from the norm on the boards. Those views being that I would much rather see CU become an academically elite public school (i.e. Cal, Michigan, UCLA, Wash, Virginia) with a better than average athletics program. My guess is that most members of allbuffs hold a directly opposing view, and again, this is my issue for joining a sports site without checking the temp of the water. I would love to see CU take on the model of Cal and VA and concentrate on academia while also operating an above-par athletic system that produces wins and NFL caliber talent (A. Rodgers, J. Best) but maybe isn't competing for NC that often. There are very few institutions who can do both (USC, ND) and if a trade-off is necessary I will pick academia 100% of the time and I feel this is why you believe I am a "CU spy" but it is simply a difference in goals. Neither of us right or wrong just hold different opinions.

I think most of us would be OK with what you're proposing. The problem is that both academics and athletics seem to be slipping at CU lately. Meanwhile, the Regents are concerning themselves with making CU "affordable".

I, for one, would be perfectly happy with an academic ranking in the top 25 in the country with an athletic program that is ranked somewhere in the top 40. There's no reason you can't do both.

 

[Gary Indiana]

I, for one, would be perfectly happy with an academic ranking in the top 25 in the country with an athletic program that is ranked somewhere in the top 40. There's no reason you can't do both.

We are in complete agreement here!

 

[Quattro]

Ha, no not an employee of the University, just a soon to be alumnus who is concerned and disheartened with the level of negativity directed toward the University since I joined the message boards. I sincerely feel that the blame lies with me for misunderstanding what I was signing up for with Allbuffs. I am beginning to realize that my views of the University diverge from the norm on the boards. Those views being that I would much rather see CU become an academically elite public school (i.e. Cal, Michigan, UCLA, Wash, Virginia) with a better than average athletics program. My guess is that most members of allbuffs hold a directly opposing view, and again, this is my issue for joining a sports site without checking the temp of the water. I would love to see CU take on the model of Cal and VA and concentrate on academia while also operating an above-par athletic system that produces wins and NFL caliber talent (A. Rodgers, J. Best) but maybe isn't competing for NC that often. There are very few institutions who can do both (USC, ND) and if a trade-off is necessary I will pick academia 100% of the time and I feel this is why you believe I am a "CU spy" but it is simply a difference in goals. Neither of us right or wrong just hold different opinions.

You do know that there's a strong correlation between athletic success in football and academic ranking, right? Better football up to a certain level will raise academics due to exposure.

 

[Uncle Ken]

Ha, no not an employee of the University, just a soon to be alumnus who is concerned and disheartened with the level of negativity directed toward the University since I joined the message boards. I sincerely feel that the blame lies with me for misunderstanding what I was signing up for with Allbuffs. I am beginning to realize that my views of the University diverge from the norm on the boards. Those views being that I would much rather see CU become an academically elite public school (i.e. Cal, Michigan, UCLA, Wash, Virginia) with a better than average athletics program. My guess is that most members of allbuffs hold a directly opposing view, and again, this is my issue for joining a sports site without checking the temp of the water. I would love to see CU take on the model of Cal and VA and concentrate on academia while also operating an above-par athletic system that produces wins and NFL caliber talent (A. Rodgers, J. Best) but maybe isn't competing for NC that often. There are very few institutions who can do both (USC, ND) and if a trade-off is necessary I will pick academia 100% of the time and I feel this is why you believe I am a "CU spy" but it is simply a difference in goals. Neither of us right or wrong just hold different opinions.

I'm fairly new as a poster around here, but have been lurking for years. I suspect you've gained the wrong impression, but also bear in mind that this is a sports oriented board, so it's not entirely surprising that you detect a sports bias.

Guess what? One of our professors represented the school well, and we can add another Nobel Prize in Physics to our academic accomplishments.

I'm proud of that.

But it doesn't get my blood pumping the way standing in my seat, yelling and shaking keys for a third down defensive play does.

Our range of excitment for our University covers the spectrum. But the slices of that spectrum are linked, and when there's a gaping whole, it's tough to find balance in our pride. Like I said before, we have a very visible outreach program, and it's our football team. It's what gets folks on campus--not just for games, but also for alumni events that coincide with the games.

When alums arrive on campus they feel proud. When they feel proud, they engage. When they engage they write checks. I don't think I'm oversimplifying this.

So, while we all want to be proud of our academic tradition, I concede that the depth of that priority might vary from poster to poster. But I continue to argue that in spite of varying priorities, all of our ambitions are met with an investment in our football team.

Finally, if you follow posters here, nobody is clamoring for an Alabama sort of program. We tend to be a little more realistic in our goals. Most folks would like to see a team that can win 8 games every season, while playing competitively across the slate, and maybe vying for a conference championship every four years. It would do wonders to mobilize our fanbase, and our donors.

But by hiring an unqualified (and I do admire the man, but his qualifications are what they are) head coach, and paying our staff bargain barrel wages, we aren't investing in this one thing that could satisfy all of our goals.

And I remain convinced that you work for the University. It's not because our priorities are different (they're not really so different), but because of the manner in which you initiate a discussion, and then follow up by soliciting information. It appears to be very agenda driven. It doesn't make you a bad guy, it's just my belief regarding your presence here. If I'm wrong, I apologize; but why not just come out in the open and admit what you are doing, rather than being sneaky? I think posters would gladly engage with you in a mature way if you were honest about your intentions. And also ask yourself why you need to be sneaky in this endeavor. What does that say about the institution which you represent? I'm all for honest dialogue. When I share information about who I am, and what I'm doing, it's with the utmost integrity.

 

[sackman]

We are in complete agreement here!

I should add a caveat, though: I don't want to be embarassed on the football field. I really don't care if the tennis team gets thrashed. That doesn't end up on Sports Center. The football team needs to be front and center and be a top 25 program.

 

[Walter White]

I should add a caveat, though: I don't want to be embarassed on the football field. I really don't care if the tennis team gets thrashed. That doesn't end up on Sports Center. The football team needs to be front and center and be a top 25 program.

CU doesn't even have a men's tennis team, or a baseball team, or swimming, etc.

 

[Quattro]

CU doesn't even have a men's tennis team, or a baseball team, or swimming, etc.

He just said tennis team ya twat. Arrogant mother****er

 

[BuffUp]

I feel with all the sports that CU does not participate in, more funds need to be funneled towards football due to the University exposure, both good and bad... No baseball,swimming,softball,lacrosse,diving,... some colleges even have B - team volleyball,basketball

 

[Gary Indiana]

And I remain convinced that you work for the University. It's not because our priorities are different (they're not really so different), but because of the manner in which you initiate a discussion, and then follow up by soliciting information. It appears to be very agenda driven. It doesn't make you a bad guy, it's just my belief regarding your presence here. If I'm wrong, I apologize; but why not just come out in the open and admit what you are doing, rather than being sneaky? I think posters would gladly engage with you in a mature way if you were honest about your intentions. And also ask yourself why you need to be sneaky in this endeavor. What does that say about the institution which you represent?

Your paranoia is troubling. So I shall again repeat, I DO NOT WORK FOR THE UNIVERSITY, my only affiliation is as a student in his last semester before graduation. I engage in the posting patterns that I do because I am new to the board and trying to ascertain if there are like-minded individuals posting here or if this is a site reserved for a certain segment of the fan population. For the most part I have found a wide variety of posters on this board and appreciated much of the response I have received. As for you, you are worrisome and confusing, but also offer reasonable replies. Quite the enigma.

 

[Gary Indiana]

@Orr Judging by your response to my post I am assuming your Northern VA location includes a Mcveigh like cabin where you utilize your strategic location to keep eyes on our "sneaky" government. :thumbsup:

 

[Uncle Ken]

Your paranoia is troubling. So I shall again repeat, I DO NOT WORK FOR THE UNIVERSITY, my only affiliation is as a student in his last semester before graduation. I engage in the posting patterns that I do because I am new to the board and trying to ascertain if there are like-minded individuals posting here or if this is a site reserved for a certain segment of the fan population. For the most part I have found a wide variety of posters on this board and appreciated much of the response I have received. As for you, you are worrisome and confusing, but also offer reasonable replies. Quite the enigma.

I apologize if I've been at all confusing.

 

[Uncle Ken]

@Orr Judging by your response to my post I am assuming your Northern VA location includes a Mcveigh like cabin where you utilize your strategic location to keep eyes on our "sneaky" government. :thumbsup:

Actually, I work in the employment of the Federal Government writing policy. See how easy it is to be honest about your employer?

 

[sackman]

CU doesn't even have a men's tennis team, or a baseball team, or swimming, etc.

 

[Gary Indiana]

Actually, I work in the employment of the Federal Government writing policy. See how easy it is to be honest about your employer?

My comment was meant to be light hearted. Apparently I am not going to change your mind on my purposes, so I will grant you your delusions.

 

[sackman]

My comment was meant to be light hearted. Apparently I am not going to change your mind on my purposes, so I will grant you your delusions.

I like this guy.