Okay, so obviously there is no reason to disconnect the two things (donations + tickets) completely, but the whole "I need to get something huge in exchange for my gift" mentality is not normal in fundraising. I worked in fundraising for the top hospital in the country, and short of giving a $15 million gift for your name on a building you didn't *get* anything in exchange for what you gave. The donors made gifts out of an abundance of gratitude for the mission, accomplishments, etc of the hospital, physicians and researchers. That's how it works in practically all non-profits.

I urge everyone to think of their gifts as just that: gifts. Give because you feel gratitude for what the athletic department does for student athletes, the university, the community and your own personal enjoyment/fulfillment. Try not to think of it like only a transaction. When you make gifts to the humane society, the museum in your town or the fire department, are you expecting anything other than a heartfelt thank you in return? Probably not. And yes, people make extremely large gifts to these organizations as well.

I'm not trying to discount the feelings of people who posted below to say they were promised something that they now aren't receiving. I know that has to be difficult and I'm sure I wouldn't be pleased either. But a lot of this problem stems from years of the HC soliciting gifts really with the sole motivation being tickets and parking in return.

Hopefully they can get away from that and focus more on what the gifts do for our alma mater and student athletes and less on what the gifts do for the donor. We want people to enjoy making an impact on the team and the athletic department and the student athletes, just as a fellow Hokie. Here's to all of us making an impact.



[Post edited by BostonHokie2004 at 02/03/2017 1:58PM]