GCSU rings in the donations

Parents, alumni donate more funds than previous years

With only four weeks of workdays to date, GCSU Phonathon has raised over $30,000 for the Heritage Fund.

Phonathon is a student-employed organization which contacts alumni, former Peabody Laboratory School students, transfer parents, freshman parents and graduate students for a donation opportunity to support the Heritage Fund.

“The Heritage Fund is unrestricted gifts,” said Abbey Fleming, a senior political science major and room manager of Phonathon. “Whatever (amount) a person donates goes into the Heritage Fund and (is) used for any need on campus.”

The Heritage Fund provides monetary support to whoever applies and is accepted for use. GCSU Athletics and other academic departments have taken advantage of the fund in the past. Last year Phonathon raised over $200,000, exceeding their $175,000 goal.

Anslee Schroeder | gcsunade.com

From left, Junior Callen Womack, senior Chandler Moore, junior Emily Willis, and junior Amanda Collins work for Phonathon at GCSU. They have raised over $30,000 so far this semester.

“At this point this is a record for (Phonathon), since I’ve been here we haven’t been at this level,” said Annual Funds Coordinator Mandy Peacock. “Last year, we (raised) over $200,000 and the year before that over $180,000. (We’ve seen) a steady increase over the last few years.”

Peacock and Fleming have ideas as to the reason for this year’s record breaking success.

First is the new way students are being trained. Peacock spends time educating callers on the context in which the possible donors know GCSU. She explains campus events and historical information of the respectable donor’s period at GCSU. She also tries to play music from the appropriate decade of the possible donors.

Peacock also encourages callers to spend time on the phone with the potential donors, getting to know them and answering any questions they may have.

Fleming believes upbeat attitudes and the concern each caller has for potential donors especially helps draw more contributions.

“We have a really great group,” Fleming said. “Their personalities have really come out, they come (into Phonathon) and they work really hard.”

Fleming also compliments the callers on their ability to continue calling potential donors with positive attitudes even after some phone calls involve discourteous receivers.

A few students Fleming recognizes as her top callers include sophomore Kayleigh Reeg, junior Erin Keeler and senior Chandler Moore.

Moore is Phonathon’s overall top caller, bringing in over $3,500 of the current fund. Moore has worked at Phonathon for three years and prepares each phone call with the idea of presenting a good cause for a donor’s giving.

“You just have to give the alumni and parents something to give to,” Moore said. “You can’t just call and ask for (your own benefit). People say we are in a recession but, I feel, the fact is people have money. They won’t give it out to just anything. If you remind them of their college days or how giving will benefit their child then they will give.”

The GCSU Phonathon is unique in comparison with other universities whom contract companies to run their phonathons.

“We think it’s important to have our students communicate to our alums,” Peacock said. “They can tell them what’s going on here. If you’re not a student here, you don’t know what’s going on. That one-on-one communication is so much. We’re not only fundraising, we’re ‘friendraising.’”

Phonathon operates in the basement of the GCSU Welcome Center and Museum every Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Those interested in receiving money from the Heritage Fund should notify their respectable dean and wait for Amy Amason, vice president of external relations, to send submission requests in the spring. The requests are processed for the upcoming fiscal year. After review and approval of the submissions, awards are given.

“You don’t get it unless you ask for it,” Peacock said. “And it is there for the asking.”

Posted by Emily McCurley on Oct 1 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.