The way an athletic department stays afloat with all the programs it often has to provide for is a juggling act to say the least. We have all probably read stories of athletic departments having to decide on whether to continue providing a particular program, usually a low-interest non-revenue sport that could better be suited for club sport status. This is of course a disappointing decision for not only the department but also for the dedicated few who support, participate in, and promote that sport or sports. But those groups are often already accustomed to fundraising for themselves. They do car washes, sell merchandise, or volunteer their time in exchange for contributions to keep their sports going and often think nothing of it.
So it goes without saying that athletic departments and institutions in general are tied to fundraising very intimately. No school is overflowing with money and contributions.
So it goes without saying that athletic departments and institutions in general are tied to fundraising very intimately. No school is overflowing with money and contributions.
No state-funded school is receiving too much from the government. All institutions have to make budgetary decisions. So fundraising comes with the territory. At some institutions, the greatest billboard and selling point is intercollegiate athletics. Why then would you not use your athletics to drive fundraising? The only drawback I can see is that you might lose control or funds to the athletic department itself. This might be a small loss if over the course of several years and many fundraising efforts you gain much more for the institution as a whole. You might also be fearful that the athletic department itself might reach out to a donor directly and sway them to donate directly. "Institutions are always in the process of expanding their donor pool,but in the short run the pool tends to be flat. It is a possibility that a donor will receive more than one contact from an institution" (King, Sexton, & Rhatigan, 2010). This could cut into your total dollars received. But then this means you as an institution have to coordinate fundraising efforts so that the waters are not muddied and both sides of the coin are drawing donors for the same cause (i.e donations for the general university fund versus the football team specifically). All too often you might lose peoples' interest in the donation when they find out it won't just buy new jerseys but rather new microscopes and going towards campus beautification efforts. After all that is the role of the fundraising management: to develop the direction and goals of the campaign.
References
King, E. H., Sexton, E. L., & Rhatigan, J. J. (2010). Balancing fundraising in academic programs and intercollegiate athletics.New Directions For Higher Education, (149), 65-71. doi:10.1002/he.382
References
King, E. H., Sexton, E. L., & Rhatigan, J. J. (2010). Balancing fundraising in academic programs and intercollegiate athletics.New Directions For Higher Education, (149), 65-71. doi:10.1002/he.382