The Ohio Athletics Department is closing in on its seven-year, $10 million fundraising goal as part of the Ohio University Bicentennial Campaign.
Mark Wilson, associate athletic director for external affairs, is a key cog of the department's effort. He said that he believes the efforts will reach the goal. The department has generated $9.6 million through March 3 at an average of $120,403 a month.
If that pace continues for the campaign's final four months, the athletics department will bring in about $10 million - just above what Director of Athletics Thomas Boeh called an ambitious goal.`
The athletics department had not received more than $700,000 in any year from fiscal year 1987 until the beginning of the campaign in fiscal year 1998 when the Bobcats brought in just under $1.1 million. Ohio's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
The last 20 months have been tougher. After drawing almost $2.5 million - the highest total in Ohio athletics history - in fiscal year 2002, Ohio took in just under $900,000 in fiscal 2003 and has averaged just more than $60,000 a month during the 2004 fiscal year. The economy is one factor, Boeh said. The Dow Jones Industrial average dropped about 1,500 points between May 2002 and May 2003.
Ohio has also struggled in its two major revenue sports - basketball and football ----- during that time period. The basketball team is 24-36 in the past two seasons, while the football team went 6-18.
Boeh said the success of athletics is not as significant because people who want to donate typically do so to improve the student-athlete experience.
I'd say (losing) doesn't hurt
but winning helps Boeh said.
The athletic department did several things to up the money donated, Wilson said. One included providing donors with specific goals for where the money would go. That is part of 'Victory with Honor' - a strategic plan that began in 1996 to give Ohio a structure for renovations and facility development.
We had a clear vision of what we needed to accomplish Wilson said.
Coaches also play a significant role, he said.
The coaches are the stars
Wilson said.
He said Ohio baseball coach Joe Carbone is one of those stars. Carbone is one of the longest tenured coaches at Ohio with 16 years served. He provides potential donors with specific details on what the team needs and how much it will cost.
A lot of people say
'Hey
I'll take care of this
' Carbone said. If people know about where the money is going to
it helps.
Wilson said about 90 percent of the money donated to fundraisers comes from about 10 percent of the people, so Ohio tries to key in on specific donors. He said fundraising is about personal interaction, communication and major gift activity.
The athletics department does not compare itself to other schools in terms of fundraising because different schools have different abilities, Boeh said.
Miami, for example, has brought in about $2.1 million in total donations for the 2002 fiscal year and about $3.7 million in fiscal 2003. The university has a fundraising arm, known as the Red and White Club. The Bobcats' Green and White Club is a social wing for fans, not a group designed for fundraising.
In other schools, Bowling Green took in more than $1.6 million in total donations during the 2002 fiscal year and more than $1.1 million so far during this fiscal year. Akron took in $600,000 in the 2003 fiscal year and about $970,000 in the 2002 fiscal year.
Wilson said he prefers to compare Ohio to its past abilities to fundraise.
I'm more concerned about
historically
what have we fundraised here
and how can we continue to grow that
