Townhall meeting 530 streamed live

[big marty]

There are many Panther Club members who didn't attend Pitt and donate heavily.

To clarify, he said they are actively looking at the option of adding beer sales (along with other concession options), but I didn't read his answer to mean that the decision is done. I read it as a perfect politician answer that neither confirmed nor denied any stance on the topic. What did others hear? Maybe I misinterpreted it.

I was there and they are just working through the details of beer sales. Everyone I talked to said it's pretty much a done deal. The surveys showed fans want all concession options including beer. It's not a big deal and they don't forsee any problems.

 

[Pitt79]

I know a member of the committee who was there, things that are coming includes emphasis on WINNING BIG in football and basketball. The SCRIPT on EVERYTHING and BEER in the stadium... write it down.

 

[DruidTM]

Aside from the Pete floor was there anything new on Script rollout?....any chance of a uniform sneak peek?

 

[ThePanthers]

Sam WernerVerified account ‏ @ SWernerPG 21h 21 hours ago

Barnes says he feels like “progress is being made” on ACC TV Network. “It’s on the horizon.”

 

[HailtoPitt]

What indications do you have that there is more emphasis on football?

He fired Steve.

Here is another indicator that the previous folks dropped the ball.

According to Barnes

“We haven’t really had a culture of major gift fundraising,” Barnes said. “We’ve just sort of haven’t."

Why in the world would a program struggling to bring in money not have established a stronger fundraising effort for major gifts? Unfortunately for Barnes, thanks to the mess he inherited, he probably has years of work to do to get to a point where they can even start soliciting major gifts.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Unfortunately for Barnes, thanks to the mess he inherited, he probably has years of work to do to get to a point where they can even start soliciting major gifts.

Well that's just silly. He can start soliciting major gifts whenever he wants. My guess is that he has already done so in several cases.

And we actually have had several major gifts, but I would agree that it hasn't been enough.

 

[bwh05]

Well he has to do some serious damage control And build relationships first.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Here is another indicator that the previous folks dropped the ball.

According to Barnes

“We haven’t really had a culture of major gift fundraising,” Barnes said. “We’ve just sort of haven’t."

Why in the world would a program struggling to bring in money not have established a stronger fundraising effort for major gifts? Unfortunately for Barnes, thanks to the mess he inherited, he probably has years of work to do to get to a point where they can even start soliciting major gifts.

That is the $64,000 question, now isn't it?

 

[ClarkLotTgate]

For the topic of uniform manufacturers:
1) Does anyone know when the Nike deal is up?
2) If we look to switch I really hope we do to Under Armor instead of Adidas.
-Football UA> Football Adidas .... but... I'd def say UA is the 3rd choice from basketball, both in terms of shoe popularity and NBA relation (which is ending in '19 when they switch to Nike too)

Topic of fundraising:
-It's not simply the hunt for big donors, but the small donors as well. Even getting a 5% increase in # of donors, averaging $50 annual donations would push $750k into the department. That's actually quite obtainable, and can build into larger donation participation year over year.
(I have zero involvement with my own university and donate $50 as year, just cause it's "what you are supposed to do" and our teams are horrid, so this should be too difficult to achieve)

 

[HailtoPitt]

Well that's just silly. He can start soliciting major gifts whenever he wants. My guess is that he has already done so in several cases.

Not really. It takes time to build up relationships with people. You don't usually just meet with someone and walk away with a million dollar check. He has to repair lots of damage. People need to see that they aren't just throwing their money away. This will likely take years before we start seeing any significant major gifts.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Not really. It takes time to build up relationships with people. You don't usually just meet with someone and walk away with a million dollar check. He has to repair lots of damage. People need to see that they aren't just throwing their money away. This will likely take years before we start seeing any significant major gifts.

Like this?
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/genrel/101511aaa.html

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/genrel/102009aaa.html

Doesn't take years.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Like this?
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/genrel/101511aaa.html

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/genrel/102009aaa.html

Doesn't take years.

“We haven’t really had a culture of major gift fundraising,” Barnes said. “We’ve just sort of haven’t."
-Scott Barnes

Do you disagree with him?

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

“We haven’t really had a culture of major gift fundraising,” Barnes said. “We’ve just sort of haven’t."
-Scott Barnes

Do you disagree with him?

I have no opinion of what a culture of major fundraising is or what it means.
I can point to major gifts Pitt athletics have received recently as evidence it will not take "years" to attempt to secure those donations.

 

[HailtoPitt]

I have no opinion of what a culture of major fundraising is or what it means.
I can point to major gifts Pitt athletics have received recently as evidence it will not take "years" to attempt to secure those donations.

You pointed out gifts made over 4 and 6 years ago. Like I said, it usually takes years to secure those types of gifts. And frankly, those two gifts over a period of how many years since the large Pederson gift in the late 90s, is certainly nowhere near an appropriate level of major giving. That is what Barnes was talking about.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

You pointed out gifts made over 4 and 6 years ago. Like I said, it usually takes years to secure those types of gifts. And frankly, those two gifts over a period of how many years since the large Pederson gift in the late 90s, is certainly nowhere near an appropriate level of major giving. That is what Barnes was talking about.

What is the appropriate level of major giving?
Volume or dollar amount?

Barnes is talking in a generality, and you're extrapolating it to state major gifts won't arrive anytime soon....to lower the bar for Barnes. His job is to get those funds starting on Day 1. That's the gig.

 

[bobfree]

There is the reading comprehension buzz words again.

Did you read the article on the pelusi gift?

"Funding began in 2007"

So by definition the gift was 9 years in the making"

"After 16 successful years, the Pitt Athletics Life Skills program will be enhanced by this $1.5 million dollar gift from the Cathy and John Pelusi family with funding that started back in 2007, but was not made public for personal reasons. The goals of the program are to give Pitt student-athletes the tools necessary to attain success and achieve personal development during their years at the University of Pittsburgh and to better prepare them for life after graduation."

 

[ClarkLotTgate]

6 figure+ donors who haven't donated before.... it won't happen over night.
smaller donations from donors who haven't donated before.... can happen rapidly.

I've actually been a fundraiser.. it takes time to get someone to donate a large amount for the first time, especially when you (the fundraiser) are approaching the donor.

If anyone thinks u can realistically walk into a virtual strangers office, and ask for a 100k in donations, and get the $$$... I've got news for you.
-any by god if you have this freakish talent...put it to use!

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

6 figure+ donors who haven't donated before...

Of course not. But there are a lot of people who are relatively smaller donors who could be turned into relatively larger donors (however we want to define that) without needed years to cultivate a relationship. A lot of people with a potential to be big donors already have a "relationship" with Pitt. It's those relationships that could be cultivated and could produce donations relatively quickly.

 

[Saboteur]

Same here. It's a shame, really.

Years of malfeasance punctuated by SP part duex will soften any erection to give it ($$) up.

 

[HailtoPitt]

6 figure+ donors who haven't donated before.... it won't happen over night.
smaller donations from donors who haven't donated before.... can happen rapidly.

I've actually been a fundraiser.. it takes time to get someone to donate a large amount for the first time, especially when you (the fundraiser) are approaching the donor.

If anyone thinks u can realistically walk into a virtual strangers office, and ask for a 100k in donations, and get the $$$... I've got news for you.
-any by god if you have this freakish talent...put it to use!

Pretty much the nail on the head. Anybody who thinks that you just walk into a person's office and ask for the big check without doing due diligence first, has no idea what they are talking about. Sure it can happen, but it certainly is not likely.

Another way to think about it is like this. Suppose Pitt identifies a wealthy individual who is an alum and has season football tickets. Chances are that person has been cultivated from various other entities, like Pitt for academic donations, other universities of that person or their spouse or children, other non profits they have been involved with, religious orgs, hospitals who helped them, etc, etc. Those other organizations will each probably have strong major giving operations, something that Pitt athletics apparently needs to improve at according to Barnes.

It is amazing to me that in the late 80s or early 90s when Pitt 'fundraised' for a new dome style stadium, their efforts apparently consisted of the BOT picking up the phone and giving people a call, as if that was a solid plan.

Pitt can absolutely earn more in athletics donations, and I predict that with Barnes and Gallagher at the helm, it will happen, just not overnight. Barnes needs to clean up the previous mess first.