Have you ever marveled at a fireworks show and then realized that someone spent a significant amount of time preparing for that magnificent exhibit? The firecrackers grace the sky for mere seconds, but the pyrotechnics took hours of labor to arrange.
The same goes for sports and fundraising.
“It’s not a big written part of my job description,” said Justin Leslie, Head Coach of the men’s basketball team. “However, it’s a critical part of my job if I want my program to be successful. I’m involved in every detail of it.”
Teams at APU do not have a centralized program for fundraising. Coaches must organize events and activities to raise funds for their individual teams.
The coaches tackle this formidable challenge in a variety of ways. While Division I schools are known to seek corporate sponsorship, APU primarily looks for arrangements with local businesses.
“Whether it’s food, banking or investment services, [we give] them a platform to market to the students on campus,” Peter Bond said, director of athletic development. “We give them a spot to get involved, giving those businesses a chance to get on campus.”
The athletic department also looks for support from alumni and parents.
“We have development officers who go out and develop [those] relationships,” Director of Athletics Gary Pine said. “Sometimes I am asked to come alongside to speak with them about our philosophy, the mission and the vision of athletics to help inspire their giving. The university will send them a letter and receipt saying ‘Thank You,’ but I will also send a personal note to them.”
Teams at APU also manage a booster club for donors.
“As members, they’re entitled to things like season tickets, specific clothing, inside information on the team and weekly emails about things that are going on,” Leslie said. “[We] host meals for our boosters four games a year, whcih gives them an opportunity to meet the team and staff.”
Unlike APU, many other schools’ sports programs get most of their funding from wealthy donors. At Oklahoma State, T. Boone Pickens, an oil tycoon, has given hundreds of millions of dollars to the athletic program. At University of Oregon, Nike founder Phil Knight has given over $300 million to the athletic program.
“It’d be nice if we just had a couple of individuals able to write sizable checks and make it all happen, but that’s not the reality,” Leslie said. “The reality of most of our supporters [is that] they want to support us, and they do support us—but in smaller amounts.”
Accordingly, the athletic department attempts to form good relationships with alumni, parents and other donors.
“We need more people connected [to fundraising programs],” Leslie said. “They want to give, but [donors] have to be realistic with what they’re able to give, as well.”
Bond confirmed that the athletic department is trying to establish a position for full-time fundraising on a larger scale. “If [we] had someone fully devoted to this, they could [fly] around the country meeting alumni,” he said.
Speaking of challenges, Bond also cited the shared use of the Felix Event Center. “It would be more attractive [to be able to say], ‘Your sign is going to be up 24/7.’ The event center isn’t an athletics center,” he said. “They’re only up in two-hour spurts when a game is going on.”
Despite the struggles, Coach Leslie understands that fundraising is a necessity. “It’s oftentimes not glamorous, and it’s very challenging,” Leslie said. “But there’s no way around just how important it is.”