Steady signs of an economic recovery are starting to show in the University of Colorado Foundation and its call centers.
The call centers are one of the ways the foundation receives donations by contacting alumni and parents for possible contributions. These donations contribute to numerous programs, departments, and scholarships among the four University of Colorado campuses. While donations to universities have decreased throughout the country, CU Foundation Communications Manager Jeremy Simon thinks that a rebound at CU is possible.
“Overall donations are down a little bit down due primarily to the economy…but the call center is up a good amount in donors and dollars,” Simon said. “They [the call centers] are showing a more significant turn [than non-call center donations]. It’s a great omen.”
Erin Joubert, CU Boulder’s call center program manager, also recognizes this positive swing.
“[The center is getting] much better numbers this year than last year…now that the economy is starting to turn around and get better,” Joubert said.
The alumni involvement could also play an important role in the recent upturn, said Rebecca Sadowski, an 18-year-old open-option major.
“Personally, I think because they [the callers] are calling alumni, they want to donate because people are having a hard time coming to the school and they want the students to have a good experience,” Sadowski said.
It was a different story last year when the national economy took a turn for the worst, Joubert said. CU callers faced more conversations with upset potential donors. While these instances have decreased since last year, the center has decided to better train their callers how to handle these situations by educating them about the economic decline’s effects on potential donors.
By adjusting their tactics, the callers are still able to promote donations.
“It’s not necessarily how much; it’s getting them [potential donors] to participate at some level,” Joubert said. “Increasing the number substantially helps CU.”
Donations made to the CU Foundation contribute to numerous programs, departments, and scholarships among the four University of Colorado campuses.
With CU’s recent funding cuts, donations help keep tuition prices manageable, Simon said. At CU Boulder, the contributions are most noticeably seen in the campus construction.
“There’s the new biotechnology building on the east campus that we just broke ground on a month ago,” Simon said.
As the economy continues to rebound, the future looks bright for the CU Foundation.
“In the long term, they [donations] are definitely on the increase,” Simon said. “It’s hard month-to-month to get a real sense of it. We expect to continue the trend up and get beyond…the economic downturn.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.
