GemParty
Co~host of the Sliders & Curveballs Podcast
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If I'm correct per our poll, many Yarders want to have an Impact on the New practice facility. Our Numbers $$$ have been creeping up. Even a few Larger donors have stepped up. I've read some company match talk. You don't want to stall or lose momentum. If we could decide by majority decision, I think the Foundation would safely usher in our pledges. Create a donation page, maybe linked to the Yard and/or social media. Maybe get a second burst of dollars if we select a giving route. Why don't we pick a day and have a Chat session with them on the Yard? Let's establish a personal contact there. Ask any questions you have that day. Below is a copy from within the Gift thread about what they offer.
As fans, we want to be closer to the program. Giving is never about the benefits, but there might be some perks for different levels or the group as a whole? I know riders/donors from the JC walk, often attend practices & get tours. I've attended a few, myself. There's even a VIP dining Q&A with coaches -Oct 3rd downtown Hartford. We would need more input from the Foundation. What do u think- mods?
We’ve been reading this post, and really are happy to see people banding together to honor Coach. First of all, thank you. I'm not saying what you folks are doing is unprecedented, but not many other examples like this come to mind, and the pledged results so far are great. Do not minimize your effort, or what you're capable of.
If the group decides that a gift through the Foundation to support either the Basketball Development Center or the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center is what you’d like to do (and we COMPLETELY understand there are other options being considered), we’d like you to know some things that may influence your decision-making.
We realize that the naming levels on the Basketball Development Center website start at $250,000 and that is likely out of reach for you, even as a group. But we’ve discussed it internally, and would like you to know that you could sponsor a player’s locker with a group gift of $25,000. It would have wording on it honoring coach (that we’d work with you on), should you choose to go that route. Funds raised for that would go to support the Basketball Development Center.
Should you decide to direct your gift toward the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center, there are some other options. For example, with a group gift of $25,000, you could help provide for (and name) a cardio-pulmonary bypass pump for minimally invasive valve replacement surgery. You could also name an exam room within the heart station clinic, and there may be other room-naming options available too.
With either option, we must point out in advance that all naming opportunities at the University of Connecticut are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
Now, we know a goal of $25,000 is a far cry from where you are now, $5,100. But, honestly, it doesn't seem out of reach. We also wanted to point out that, while some employers do NOT match gifts to athletic facilities (others may, though!), most employers with matching gift policies DO match gifts to something like the cardiology center, and that would count toward the “total” amount raised by the group. You would have to check with your own employers, etc. A good resource is: http://www.matchinggifts.com/uconn/ but it's always prudent to also ask the question at your HR Department.
If you decide to go with either route, we’d be happy to create an online giving page just for your effort, with social media sharing, and we probably could count the gifts that have already been made from links on other Boneyard threads through the exiting Calhoun honor page, assuming they were for the same purpose, of course.
Unlike things like Kickstarter, etc. if you didn’t reach your goal of, say, $25,000, with us, you still would have raised an incredible amount that would go to the respective purpose. With Kickstarter and things like it, projects are typically only funded if they reach goal.
We remain interested in talking to you all, when you coalesce around your idea. Thanks again for considering support of UConn in honor of Coach’s remarkable career. Stay in touch and ask questions if you have them. E-mail is campaign@foundation.uconn.edu
As fans, we want to be closer to the program. Giving is never about the benefits, but there might be some perks for different levels or the group as a whole? I know riders/donors from the JC walk, often attend practices & get tours. I've attended a few, myself. There's even a VIP dining Q&A with coaches -Oct 3rd downtown Hartford. We would need more input from the Foundation. What do u think- mods?
We’ve been reading this post, and really are happy to see people banding together to honor Coach. First of all, thank you. I'm not saying what you folks are doing is unprecedented, but not many other examples like this come to mind, and the pledged results so far are great. Do not minimize your effort, or what you're capable of.
If the group decides that a gift through the Foundation to support either the Basketball Development Center or the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center is what you’d like to do (and we COMPLETELY understand there are other options being considered), we’d like you to know some things that may influence your decision-making.
We realize that the naming levels on the Basketball Development Center website start at $250,000 and that is likely out of reach for you, even as a group. But we’ve discussed it internally, and would like you to know that you could sponsor a player’s locker with a group gift of $25,000. It would have wording on it honoring coach (that we’d work with you on), should you choose to go that route. Funds raised for that would go to support the Basketball Development Center.
Should you decide to direct your gift toward the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center, there are some other options. For example, with a group gift of $25,000, you could help provide for (and name) a cardio-pulmonary bypass pump for minimally invasive valve replacement surgery. You could also name an exam room within the heart station clinic, and there may be other room-naming options available too.
With either option, we must point out in advance that all naming opportunities at the University of Connecticut are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.
Now, we know a goal of $25,000 is a far cry from where you are now, $5,100. But, honestly, it doesn't seem out of reach. We also wanted to point out that, while some employers do NOT match gifts to athletic facilities (others may, though!), most employers with matching gift policies DO match gifts to something like the cardiology center, and that would count toward the “total” amount raised by the group. You would have to check with your own employers, etc. A good resource is: http://www.matchinggifts.com/uconn/ but it's always prudent to also ask the question at your HR Department.
If you decide to go with either route, we’d be happy to create an online giving page just for your effort, with social media sharing, and we probably could count the gifts that have already been made from links on other Boneyard threads through the exiting Calhoun honor page, assuming they were for the same purpose, of course.
Unlike things like Kickstarter, etc. if you didn’t reach your goal of, say, $25,000, with us, you still would have raised an incredible amount that would go to the respective purpose. With Kickstarter and things like it, projects are typically only funded if they reach goal.
We remain interested in talking to you all, when you coalesce around your idea. Thanks again for considering support of UConn in honor of Coach’s remarkable career. Stay in touch and ask questions if you have them. E-mail is campaign@foundation.uconn.edu
