The Swamp

So the thread on Operation Varsity Blue got me wondering if you support your alma maters. If so what is the thought process.

Nope, they got my 60K.

I'll support local elementary drives and whatnot, buy trash bags and sponsor fun runs and the like.

So I keep my membership to my high school (public school) alumni association. They don't do much and it is something like $10/year. Figure it makes sure I know when my reunions are.

I do give to W&L. Got a whole lot out of the school while I was there and they continue to provide value afterward. I am not the big money bags that they court (unlike a few of the investment bankers from my class) but will cut a check for the annual fund, athletic booster (every September when they ask), and hillel (every couple of years). My bigger contribution is alumni interviewing, sat on a advisory board for 7 years, and am a pretty heavily used resource for CS majors (via the CS department and career development office). Most of this is because I had a good experience and part is the legacy thing at W&L is real (The school does a good job of tracking graduates...for a number of reasons beyond just asking for $).

Donating money to schools is super weird.

Even for publically funded colleges, this is like asking me if I donate to Costco. GTFO.

I did for a few years out of law school because it seemed like the thing to do, then I thought better of it.

I donate a couple hundo a year, but it gets designated directly to the J-school at CMU. When I was there, previous alumni donations resulted in us getting a new computer system and computer lab for the school newspaper. That computer system was installed by the company I ended up working at for 10 years (and where I met Sabo).

I've gave a little here and there to the athletic program as well, but again pretty easy to justify since alumni donations at the MAC level tend to have a direct relationship with athletic success. That's not necessarily true at higher levels of Division I.

I give my university $100 or so a year when they make the fundraising rounds.

Donating to a college's athletic department instead of a general fund is like saying you want to give to the homeless, but only if they're good-looking.

If I thought that my school needed it, I would have.

One of the other reasons I donate (once again not much) is % of alumni donations is often used as a value in rankings of universities and programs (which can often help get jobs...especially in cases of robots). It is part of the reason that the seven sisters and HBCUs rank lower.

I give to the NPR station, which is run out of the University.

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:02 am One of the other reasons I donate (once again not much) is % of alumni donations is often used as a value in rankings of universities and programs (which can often help get jobs...especially in cases of robots). It is part of the reason that the seven sisters and HBCUs rank lower.

"This college would certainly suffer if the general public had less money all of a sudden. Four stars."

I've given in the past. Designated for Teachers College. Since both my wife and I went through that program and it is one of the least developed colleges on campus. If only David Letterman gave a shit about the teachers and less about the C student getting accepted into the mass media program named after him now. I jest, I think it is great Dave gives back so much to BSU. But shit, it would be nice if people gave a shit about teacher preparation and their following years of destitution.

My wife and I, and our two kids went to the same high school. Fundamentally a good place. So I've given to the Boosters (which give out money to ALL school groups, not just sports.)

Hopkins don't need my money, they have Bloomberg. And that place was ridiculously expensive. So, fuck that shit. That said, I've given money here and there to the soccer team. But mostly in the form of coming back for an alumni game and paying the registration fee. Or some other type of reunion function that involved food/drinks.

I'm not cutting a check to them unless I'm getting something back.

My law school employs noted torture facilitator John Yoo. So that gives me an excuse to ignore their fundraising requests.

We donate to my wife's school, though (Carleton College), to help fund scholarships etc.

Carolina hires tons of students to cold call alums and parents and beg for cash. I will sometimes ignore their calls when I see them but will mostly get off a check if they get through to me. Law school donations are not a consideration.

DId the annual UF Alumni Association donation until one year when we sold a house, we put some of the proceeds to a lifetime membership. We also bought bricks at the alumni hall for each of the kids when they were born. Other than that, we don't frequently donate these days, our donation money goes elsewhere.

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:39 am Carolina hires tons of students to cold call alums and parents and beg for cash. I will sometimes ignore their calls when I see them but will mostly get off a check if they get through to me. Law school donations are not a consideration.

I used to do cold calls for donations at Ball State. Worst job ever calling people that don't want to talk to you or give money. I was told once by some lady to never call during the Dolphins game. She may have added some expletives.

So when they call me, I always am cordial to them and chat them up. I try to find out what campus is like now. And I always ask them about Mark Carter. Just chatted with one of them yesterday on my drive home from work.

duff wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:21 am

HaulCitgo wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 10:39 am Carolina hires tons of students to cold call alums and parents and beg for cash. I will sometimes ignore their calls when I see them but will mostly get off a check if they get through to me. Law school donations are not a consideration.

I used to do cold calls for donations at Ball State. Worst job ever calling people that don't want to talk to you or give money. I was told once by some lady to never call during the Dolphins game. She may have added some expletives.

So when they call me, I always am cordial to them and chat them up. I try to find out what campus is like now. And I always ask them about Mark Carter. Just chatted with one of them yesterday on my drive home from work.

Same. I was in a program called Campus Ambassadors at CMU which included this stuff, but also more fun stuff like doing tours for prospective students and their parents and showing up as "token students" to fundraising events (ostensibly so the donors could interact with current students and convince them their money wasn't going to any of the "bad ones". As it turns out, experience schmoozing rich people turned out to be one of the most valuable learning experiences I had in college or at least one of the most practicable in "real life".

We gave a lot of money to the public elementary, junior and senior high schools my daughter attended. But nada to my alma maters.

Youre right that those are great skills. Absolutely hated cold calling folks but lots of jobs are pretty much exactly that and calling alums is a pretty easy intro. Ended up quitting that job for an "internship" with a financial services company that consisted of the same except I had to thumb through the yellow pages for business owners to call.

Very happy to hear you guys don't donte, I never have, and felt guilty about it, at least towards my law school, since I went on a scholarship funded by alumni donations. When I graduated, I assumed I'd give back, but living in NYC on a federal government salary didn't leave much room for donations, and 5 years out, I didn't care anymore. State school undergrad, so that just seems weird to donate there. I give to all of the constant fundraisers at the local school district, PTO events and drives, Education Foundation, School Board... There is something every other week.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:34 amI was in a program called Campus ...ass...stuff...e...rs for prospective students and their parents and showing up as "token ...d..." to fundraising events ...

There's too much to work with there. I got overwhelmed and had to stop.

We give money to both our alma maters (Ohio for me, University of Cincinnati for her). I'm also a member of the Ohio athletic department booster club. All together, we probably donate less than a $1,000 a year.

I refuse to contribute to any organization if cold called. Fuck that noise.

My high school closed down in 2006. So, no to that.

My degree is from Online For Profit U. (American Military University) No to that.

Wherever I decide to get my masters from, which could be UNM on the GI Bill or elsewhere online, probably not there too. Seems ridiculous.

I got great support from alumni based scholarships when I was in school, so feel very very guilty for not donating. Given that the wife and I are both successful and we have a pretty comfortable life, I want to start to donate with the money steered towards my major and preferably to student athletes. I’ve been really thinking about it a lot the past couple of days actually.