Annual giving campaign focuses on the students

While working to gain money from outside sources during the capital campaign five years ago, Prairie View recognized the needed for more support for it's constituents support.
The capital campaign raised more than $32 million over five years.
"When we go outside of Prairie View and ask for money from third parties, the first thing that they want to know is, 'What are you doing for yourself?' If we are not investing in the product, why should they? If we do not believe in what we are selling, why should others give to it?"
The generated during the capital went to designations such as endowed scholarships, endowed faculty chairs, student support reserves, preservation of historic buildings and technology, but now the focus is on Prairie View A&M University helping itself.
The office of development began a new annual giving campaign in 2009 to build the culture of philanthropy on the campus.
The third and final part of this annual giving campaign begins this semester and is reaching out to the students.
"Our motto is: For Students by Students," said manager of the annual fund Felicia Lewis. "It will go to scholarships, book funds, organization projects, trips, and other things that the students want and need."
The development office is in the process of building a student development initiative to help decide where the money students give goes.
"This is an organization of student leaders that help with the planning and distribution of funds," said Lewis. "We want the students to be a part of this process because as faculty and administration, we may not know what the students want."
Junior biology major Edna Idan is a member of the student development initiative and works in the office of development.
"Alumni give, faculty and staff give, and now it is time for students to give," said Idan. "First we will be focusing on the freshman. There will be a competition between the buildings in the University College to see who can give the most." The first part of the annual giving campaign began in 2010 and is geared towards alumni. Twice a year students help the office of development by calling all alumni the department has contact information for. They ask for donations, monetary and in-kind.
 "The alumni giving campaign students know as the phone-a-thon," said Lewis. "It is really a special time because students get to talk to alumni and alumni get to share their experiences about Prairie View with students. It is bridging a gap between students and alumni."
 These unrestricted gifts go to the greatest need in the university unlike those in the second part of the giving campaign which targets faculty and staff and goes to specific entities.
 "It is like the general offering when you are in church," said Bowman. "In the collection plate, they may give you a tithing envelope, a benevolent envelope, and then there is the general plate."
 The faculty and staff campaign raised more than $100,000 and there was a 65 percent participation rate.
 "That campaign started last year and we just wanted people to participate," said Lewis. "We had weekly drawings and prizes. It was a really exciting campaign and we recognized the departments that had 100 percent participation."
 The office of development kicked off the student giving campaign at the final hump day of the spring semester and students gave $73.
 "It may not sound like much, but there were about 200 people who came up to us that day," said Lewis. "About 30 percent of those students gave to us so more than 60 people gave."
 The office of development wants to translate that percentage to the rest of the university.
 "It indicates that there is a culture of giving here," said Bowman. "The main reason that people do not give is because they are not asked."