Why we donate and how to sell it to others

oldguystudent · July 8, 2012

The question seems to come up every time someone mentions the successes, no matter how minor, of any other school. What have you done for UNT?

This invariably devolves into a series of oneupmanship until someone comes through having bought season tickets at the old field where Willis Library now resides.

We all have our reasons for donating, but it really boils down to two things.

1) It's part of our entertainment budget, and it's a place where we've found comfort, friendship, and lifelong enjoyment.

2) We're contributing to the embetterment of the university, and by improving the athletic program, giving a few kids a chance at an education and handing the university a nice marketing tool by which it can recruit better faculty and students.

We mostly suffer from a common syndrome too: I was here first, and it was better when I was here.

I came to UNT four years ago. In these four years, I've lost my house and my wife. However, I gained an education, a new career, and was picked up along the way by a curmudgeony UNT fan who saw fit to give me enough employment while in school to keep my head above water. It hasn't always been the most rainbow unicorn journey, but I got through it, and I'm grateful to those involved.

So here I am, a freshly minted member of the Mean Green club (although at admittedly nominal levels). Why did I choose to contribute? Because UNT gave me an opportunity, and UNT athletics indirectly provided me with the means to seize it. So I keep coming back, and I give back (although at admittedly nominal levels).

And I sell it to others. Actively and aggressively. How? Think again about why we keep coming back. Reason number 1. It's entertainment dollars. Somebody who is considering coming to games, buying season tickets, and God willing, making a donation, needs to enjoy themselves -- at their own pace, and in their own way. That might mean having the wrong shirt, or sitting in the wrong section, or screwing up the eagle claw (something I never learned how to do).

But if there's BBQ, music, beer, football, and everybody is enjoying it, then UNT football is one of the best entertainment values going.

I view everyone who walks through that gate as a potential customer. Apogee and UNT is our store, and those are our potential clients. We talk to them, find out what they're looking for in a college gameday experience, and we provide it. The correct shade of green, the alma mater lyrics (which I never learned), the hand gestures. Those things come organically with time.

The bitter memories of derision and feeling unwelcome after 100 posts about who did what wrong after every game? Those are instant and permanent.

So here's my challenge to the mean green nation this fall. Let's try being the kinder, gentler curmudgeony crowd. People will come to check things out. Let's give them a beer and a rib. Answer any questions they have. Get to know them. Invite them back. And if it's really a burr under your saddle, buy them a t-shirt in the shade o' green of the week.

Get them coming back, and start soliciting more commitment, but always as a benefit to them, never as an obligation or challenge to "be as good a fan as I am." Also always keep in mind that what they perceive as benefits may vary wildly from you perceive as benefits, so listen and be mindful of this.

We all love this program. Let's project to others why and share it with them.

SilverEagle · July 8, 2012

I don't know where you hang out at games, but I've just added you to my "give-this-guy-an-Alien-Ale" list. OR, if you prefer, a Shiner Ruby Redbird.

Harry · July 8, 2012

The question seems to come up every time someone mentions the successes, no matter how minor, of any other school. What have you done for UNT?

This invariably devolves into a series of oneupmanship until someone comes through having bought season tickets at the old field where Willis Library now resides.

We all have our reasons for donating, but it really boils down to two things.

1) It's part of our entertainment budget, and it's a place where we've found comfort, friendship, and lifelong enjoyment.

2) We're contributing to the embetterment of the university, and by improving the athletic program, giving a few kids a chance at an education and handing the university a nice marketing tool by which it can recruit better faculty and students.

We mostly suffer from a common syndrome too: I was here first, and it was better when I was here.

I came to UNT four years ago. In these four years, I've lost my house and my wife. However, I gained an education, a new career, and was picked up along the way by a curmudgeony UNT fan who saw fit to give me enough employment while in school to keep my head above water. It hasn't always been the most rainbow unicorn journey, but I got through it, and I'm grateful to those involved.

So here I am, a freshly minted member of the Mean Green club (although at admittedly nominal levels). Why did I choose to contribute? Because UNT gave me an opportunity, and UNT athletics indirectly provided me with the means to seize it. So I keep coming back, and I give back (although at admittedly nominal levels).

And I sell it to others. Actively and aggressively. How? Think again about why we keep coming back. Reason number 1. It's entertainment dollars. Somebody who is considering coming to games, buying season tickets, and God willing, making a donation, needs to enjoy themselves -- at their own pace, and in their own way. That might mean having the wrong shirt, or sitting in the wrong section, or screwing up the eagle claw (something I never learned how to do).

But if there's BBQ, music, beer, football, and everybody is enjoying it, then UNT football is one of the best entertainment values going.

I view everyone who walks through that gate as a potential customer. Apogee and UNT is our store, and those are our potential clients. We talk to them, find out what they're looking for in a college gameday experience, and we provide it. The correct shade of green, the alma mater lyrics (which I never learned), the hand gestures. Those things come organically with time.

The bitter memories of derision and feeling unwelcome after 100 posts about who did what wrong after every game? Those are instant and permanent.

So here's my challenge to the mean green nation this fall. Let's try being the kinder, gentler curmudgeony crowd. People will come to check things out. Let's give them a beer and a rib. Answer any questions they have. Get to know them. Invite them back. And if it's really a burr under your saddle, buy them a t-shirt in the shade o' green of the week.

Get them coming back, and start soliciting more commitment, but always as a benefit to them, never as an obligation or challenge to "be as good a fan as I am." Also always keep in mind that what they perceive as benefits may vary wildly from you perceive as benefits, so listen and be mindful of this.

We all love this program. Let's project to others why and share it with them.

Great post. I have indoctrinated a few good new UNT fans over the years and to a one they all say it's the "whole" package that attracts them and in the last seven years I do believe tailgating has been our biggest draw. Because I have had success with some of the people in my neighborhood I have a good feeling about this season in terms of bringing even more numbers. Family is another good way to bring new fans.

emmitt01 · July 8, 2012

I think the single coolest thing about North Texas football right now is the affordability. I had been trying to strong arm my mom and aunt into the MGC (aunt is a unt ex-student who is engaged to a UT t-shirt alum...guess who she roots for) but I'm gonna see I'd I can't just get them into some season tickets. Baby steps.

GL2Greatness · July 8, 2012

the issue I see is many of the "big time" donors especially those on the mean and green forum want to look at their level of donation and then compare the perks they get from the mean green club or wheatever to the perks that their friends get from some other program for the same level or even a smaller level of donation

it goes back to the failed and false idea that it is all "just a step away" and the way that many on this forum want to pretend that other programs have not been investing in their programs for decades or that those programs have somehow had some unfair leg up that this program did not have......when the reality is people 25-30-50-75 years ago were investing in those programs at huge dollar levels and they may have been getting some perks, but back in those times peoples expectations of "perks" were much less......not to mention that those decades of investments were built upon so that todays donors at the $1,000 to $5,000 dollar level feel like they are getting big perks for their donation.....while this program is having to use 100% of those levels of donations and even higher levels just to try and catch up much less keep up......so they don't have 12 people on staff that can run everyone else through the flashcards of "big donors" faces so they can be sure to get gladhanded everytime they are seen or to slip a nice hand written message in every single letter or promo that is sent out...instead of being happy that they are laying the foundation for a possible future or they are helping to catch the program up they are busy measuring their "perks" VS what their friends get from places that have had huge donors for decades and places that regularly get donations yearly that total up to 100%+ of the total athletics budget of this program

if you are donating so that mandy can give you a big hug before every game or so that RV can gladhand you and blow smoke up your butt everytime he sees you then you are probably donating for the wrong reasons and you are probably going to keep being disappointed

if you are donating so that 30 years from now some smaller level of donors might get those perks then there is a chance that might happen

if you are expecting your yearly donation no matter the size will get you treated the same as at a program that has had hundreds of donors at that level for decades then you will be disappointed for sure.....unless you want all that money to go to gladhanding you and blowing smoke up your butt and telling you how important you are while facilities fall further behind and wins don't materialize

Edited July 8, 2012 by GL2Greatness

MDH · July 8, 2012

This will be my second season as an alum and as a season ticket holder. The greatest thing I did last year was bring along friends that really didn't care much about things as a student. Everyone of them were amazed at the stadium we now had. Even if they weren't football fans, they loved the tailgating, atmosphere, and staying out in Denton after the game. Denton has become a really cool spot and in my opinion the most organically fun place to be in the metroplex.

eulessismore · July 8, 2012

the issue I see is many of the "big time" donors especially those on the mean and green forum want to look at their level of donation and then compare the perks they get from the mean green club or wheatever to the perks that their friends get from some other program for the same level or even a smaller level of donation

it goes back to the failed and false idea that it is all "just a step away" and the way that many on this forum want to pretend that other programs have not been investing in their programs for decades or that those programs have somehow had some unfair leg up that this program did not have......when the reality is people 25-30-50-75 years ago were investing in those programs at huge dollar levels and they may have been getting some perks, but back in those times peoples expectations of "perks" were much less......not to mention that those decades of investments were built upon so that todays donors at the $1,000 to $5,000 dollar level feel like they are getting big perks for their donation.....while this program is having to use 100% of those levels of donations and even higher levels just to try and catch up much less keep up......so they don't have 12 people on staff that can run everyone else through the flashcards of "big donors" faces so they can be sure to get gladhanded everytime they are seen or to slip a nice hand written message in every single letter or promo that is sent out...instead of being happy that they are laying the foundation for a possible future or they are helping to catch the program up they are busy measuring their "perks" VS what their friends get from places that have had huge donors for decades and places that regularly get donations yearly that total up to 100%+ of the total athletics budget of this program

if you are donating so that mandy can give you a big hug before every game or so that RV can gladhand you and blow smoke up your butt everytime he sees you then you are probably donating for the wrong reasons and you are probably going to keep being disappointed

if you are donating so that 30 years from now some smaller level of donors might get those perks then there is a chance that might happen

if you are expecting your yearly donation no matter the size will get you treated the same as at a program that has had hundreds of donors at that level for decades then you will be disappointed for sure.....unless you want all that money to go to gladhanding you and blowing smoke up your butt and telling you how important you are while facilities fall further behind and wins don't materialize

I'm sure your expectations are not beyond your level of contributions.

MeanMag · July 9, 2012

the issue I see is many of the "big time" donors especially those on the mean and green forum want to look at their level of donation and then compare the perks they get from the mean green club or wheatever to the perks that their friends get from some other program for the same level or even a smaller level of donation

it goes back to the failed and false idea that it is all "just a step away" and the way that many on this forum want to pretend that other programs have not been investing in their programs for decades or that those programs have somehow had some unfair leg up that this program did not have......when the reality is people 25-30-50-75 years ago were investing in those programs at huge dollar levels and they may have been getting some perks, but back in those times peoples expectations of "perks" were much less......not to mention that those decades of investments were built upon so that todays donors at the $1,000 to $5,000 dollar level feel like they are getting big perks for their donation.....while this program is having to use 100% of those levels of donations and even higher levels just to try and catch up much less keep up......so they don't have 12 people on staff that can run everyone else through the flashcards of "big donors" faces so they can be sure to get gladhanded everytime they are seen or to slip a nice hand written message in every single letter or promo that is sent out...instead of being happy that they are laying the foundation for a possible future or they are helping to catch the program up they are busy measuring their "perks" VS what their friends get from places that have had huge donors for decades and places that regularly get donations yearly that total up to 100%+ of the total athletics budget of this program

if you are donating so that mandy can give you a big hug before every game or so that RV can gladhand you and blow smoke up your butt everytime he sees you then you are probably donating for the wrong reasons and you are probably going to keep being disappointed

if you are donating so that 30 years from now some smaller level of donors might get those perks then there is a chance that might happen

if you are expecting your yearly donation no matter the size will get you treated the same as at a program that has had hundreds of donors at that level for decades then you will be disappointed for sure.....unless you want all that money to go to gladhanding you and blowing smoke up your butt and telling you how important you are while facilities fall further behind and wins don't materialize

At what point is your mission accomplished here?

CMJ · July 9, 2012

At what point is your mission accomplished here?

I have a friend who knows.

Texas Stranger · July 9, 2012

the issue I see is many of the "big time" donors especially those on the mean and green forum want to look at their level of donation and then compare the perks they get from the mean green club or wheatever to the perks that their friends get from some other program for the same level or even a smaller level of donation

it goes back to the failed and false idea that it is all "just a step away" and the way that many on this forum want to pretend that other programs have not been investing in their programs for decades or that those programs have somehow had some unfair leg up that this program did not have......when the reality is people 25-30-50-75 years ago were investing in those programs at huge dollar levels and they may have been getting some perks, but back in those times peoples expectations of "perks" were much less......not to mention that those decades of investments were built upon so that todays donors at the $1,000 to $5,000 dollar level feel like they are getting big perks for their donation.....while this program is having to use 100% of those levels of donations and even higher levels just to try and catch up much less keep up......so they don't have 12 people on staff that can run everyone else through the flashcards of "big donors" faces so they can be sure to get gladhanded everytime they are seen or to slip a nice hand written message in every single letter or promo that is sent out...instead of being happy that they are laying the foundation for a possible future or they are helping to catch the program up they are busy measuring their "perks" VS what their friends get from places that have had huge donors for decades and places that regularly get donations yearly that total up to 100%+ of the total athletics budget of this program

if you are donating so that mandy can give you a big hug before every game or so that RV can gladhand you and blow smoke up your butt everytime he sees you then you are probably donating for the wrong reasons and you are probably going to keep being disappointed

if you are donating so that 30 years from now some smaller level of donors might get those perks then there is a chance that might happen

if you are expecting your yearly donation no matter the size will get you treated the same as at a program that has had hundreds of donors at that level for decades then you will be disappointed for sure.....unless you want all that money to go to gladhanding you and blowing smoke up your butt and telling you how important you are while facilities fall further behind and wins don't materialize

Whatever perk I get next month will be better than the bucket of KFC your program is giving away. What are the season ticket perks of UTSA anyway ? (other than the right to watch a 2-10 team)

GL2Greatness · July 9, 2012

Whatever perk I get next month will be better than the bucket of KFC your program is giving away. What are the season ticket perks of UTSA anyway ? (other than the right to watch a 2-10 team)

I thought I was a TxState grad....no wait an SMU grad.....no wait I am a former unT music student.....no wait I am a former unT student that has a charge of securities fraud.......please get your stories straight

and what season was UTSA 2-10?

it seems that unT has more 2-10 seasons in the recent past than UTSA does

and funny even though the "perk" for people going to UTSA was only a bucket of chicken.....I don't see people crying about that or refusing to buy season tickets or donate and in fact their season ticket sales are up and I would bet their donations are up as well......perhaps a bucket of chicken is worth more than unT tickets because many more people responded to that than responded to a 5-7 season in a new stadium....even with a larger metro area to draw from and even with many more alumni to pull from...

foutsrouts · July 9, 2012

I thought I was a TxState grad....no wait an SMU grad.....no wait I am a former unT music student.....no wait I am a former unT student that has a charge of securities fraud.......please get your stories straight

and what season was UTSA 2-10?

it seems that unT has more 2-10 seasons in the recent past than UTSA does

and funny even though the "perk" for people going to UTSA was only a bucket of chicken.....I don't see people crying about that or refusing to buy season tickets or donate and in fact their season ticket sales are up and I would bet their donations are up as well......perhaps a bucket of chicken is worth more than unT tickets because many more people responded to that than responded to a 5-7 season in a new stadium....even with a larger metro area to draw from and even with many more alumni to pull from...

You're just an idiot. No person on this board is going to take the time to actually read your posts anymore so just go away. Truly pathetic. Quit clogging the board with nothingness.

emmitt01 · July 9, 2012

My vote was always for conflicted man typing from literally inside a closet.

I thought I was a TxState grad....no wait an SMU grad.....no wait I am a former unT music student.....no wait I am a former unT student that has a charge of securities fraud.......please get your stories straight

and what season was UTSA 2-10?

it seems that unT has more 2-10 seasons in the recent past than UTSA does

and funny even though the "perk" for people going to UTSA was only a bucket of chicken.....I don't see people crying about that or refusing to buy season tickets or donate and in fact their season ticket sales are up and I would bet their donations are up as well......perhaps a bucket of chicken is worth more than unT tickets because many more people responded to that than responded to a 5-7 season in a new stadium....even with a larger metro area to draw from and even with many more alumni to pull from...

UNT90 · July 9, 2012

Be nice to Checkfacts. This is the only social communication that he has in any facet of his life.

KRAM1 · July 9, 2012

the issue I see is many of the "big time" donors especially those on the mean and green forum want to look at their level of donation and then compare the perks they get from the mean green club or wheatever to the perks that their friends get from some other program for the same level or even a smaller level of donation

it goes back to the failed and false idea that it is all "just a step away" and the way that many on this forum want to pretend that other programs have not been investing in their programs for decades or that those programs have somehow had some unfair leg up that this program did not have......when the reality is people 25-30-50-75 years ago were investing in those programs at huge dollar levels and they may have been getting some perks, but back in those times peoples expectations of "perks" were much less......not to mention that those decades of investments were built upon so that todays donors at the $1,000 to $5,000 dollar level feel like they are getting big perks for their donation.....while this program is having to use 100% of those levels of donations and even higher levels just to try and catch up much less keep up......so they don't have 12 people on staff that can run everyone else through the flashcards of "big donors" faces so they can be sure to get gladhanded everytime they are seen or to slip a nice hand written message in every single letter or promo that is sent out...instead of being happy that they are laying the foundation for a possible future or they are helping to catch the program up they are busy measuring their "perks" VS what their friends get from places that have had huge donors for decades and places that regularly get donations yearly that total up to 100%+ of the total athletics budget of this program

if you are donating so that mandy can give you a big hug before every game or so that RV can gladhand you and blow smoke up your butt everytime he sees you then you are probably donating for the wrong reasons and you are probably going to keep being disappointed

if you are donating so that 30 years from now some smaller level of donors might get those perks then there is a chance that might happen

if you are expecting your yearly donation no matter the size will get you treated the same as at a program that has had hundreds of donors at that level for decades then you will be disappointed for sure.....unless you want all that money to go to gladhanding you and blowing smoke up your butt and telling you how important you are while facilities fall further behind and wins don't materialize

can someone PLEASE nintroduce this guy to the Mean & Green Forums site? That crowd will love this guy and he will fee right at home.

GL2Greatness · July 9, 2012

can someone PLEASE nintroduce this guy to the Mean & Green Forums site? That crowd will love this guy and he will fee right at home.

actually they are not a big fan of me over there

they don't like the idea of what I said in this thread specifically.....they seem to think that if unT gets rid of RV that things will pick up when the reality IMO is that would be a huge mistake because the only thing that has stayed the same while meaningful change has taken place has been RV

the M&G crowd is the worst about wanting little hand written notes and chocolates on their pillow at night for their donations....they are the wrost about not understanding that programs that have sustained success have a full university committment to athletics from the BOR, to the chancellor (if there is one) to the president and on down

RV can't go out there and force people to donate and often times it will not be RV that is even the front man on getting large donations even for athletics....at a very few (probably 10-15 max) universities the athletics department might be the front man for their own donations at the rest of the 110+ schools the university advancement department is in the lead.....the AD will be there to work a donor, to steer them in a direction (once athletics has been specified as to where they want to donate) and the AD might be there to give a major part of the close, but the rest of the advancement staff will be there as well

look at TxState, UTSA, CSU, Tulane, UH and on and on their presidents and chancellors are right out in front on their athletics and stadium advancement and athletics is a major part of any capital campaign they have going on and often a specific listed part of that......unT has not had a campaign since RV has been here that I recall.......there is mention of some psudeo 150 million dollar campaign that happened back in 2000-2002, but I never recall it being published, I never saw any stated goals for it, I never saw athletics or any specific program or department listed, and then suddenly it was "done" and a "success" mainly IMO because there was a desire to have a much larger one and that fizzled so they stopped at the end of the planned "silent phase" with what they had and "success"

the M&G forum is a lot like this one except they place 99% of the blame on RV, they get much more worked up about the "perks" for their donations, and they make fun of the members on here and some of the spin (that is a bit of a stretch or really a huge stretch so often)

the AD of a university can't change a crisis of leadership that starts at the very top and flows down and RV has been hung out to dry IMO enough by that crisis and who can blame him for pulling back on some public comments.....VLR is a good leader, but IMO he will be gone much sooner than later and it will be back to someone elses grand new vision and who knows if that will include athletics and if RV had been out there makign some new plans and there is a change....RV gets hung out to dry again

al the idiot hung RV out to dry on purpose right from the get go....Dr. Pohl was fighting a losing battle moving up from being a long time "insider" and he saw that and left......Dr. B. was busy executing her grand vision for the campus and then clashing with lee the idiot and trying to save her own job.....VLR is doing ok, but he is not here for the long term and that is specifically why lee the idiot decided on him without a search for anyone else......and clearly VLR is not goign to get in the way of the dallascentric focus so that is perfect for lee because he can get that done before another change is made

the M&G board if buffoonery

Edited July 9, 2012 by GL2Greatness

forevereagle · July 9, 2012

actually they are not a big fan of me over there

We aren't either, so maybe you can stop coming here too.

oldguystudent · July 10, 2012

Oh no! A bunch of whiny little bitches playing with themselves on a rogue board!

GrandGreen · July 10, 2012

Not sure why all the fuss. I hope everyone contributes that can, but NT needs fans of all types. I just don't get those that bitch about people bitching. Opinions and views differ based on a lot of different factors. Some see fault in almost everything, others offer only praise for NT athletes and seem alarmed that everyone doesn't have their view.

The fact is that every program has these types of fans, the problem at NT is not the type of fans it has but the number. It is great to expect everyone to donate with no expectations but to help the program and many do. However, the reality is most of those that donate thousands expect some special treatment. It is human nature, and every program caters to their big donors. The problem that NT has, is it does not have either the quantity of donors or the really big benefactors that most other programs have.

I could not care less personally if practices or closed or that I have any kind of in with the athletic staff, but on the other hand if it helps raise donations than I am perfectly ok with donors getting perks based on their contributions.

KRAM1 · July 10, 2012

It's not necessarily "what" is said or what is the disagreement, but rather "how" it is said that differentiates. When the "how" is often full of personal vendettas and when you are seen as ignorant and called names for simply disagreeing then that becomes the issue.

It's the folks who carry grudges and make everything personal that seem to be the defining difference between the various philosophies reflected on the two boards.

I agree 100% with GrandGreen in that UNT needs more fans and more supporters and more donors...of all kinds. We, who are the fans, supporters and donors should do what we can to make it a positive experience in supporting the Mean green and give others reasons to support the program, not reasons why they should not....seems the more positive and successful tact to me at least.