Giving in Action: The MBA Legacy Campaign

Jason Watkins, MBA ’96, co-founded the MBA Legacy Campaign (formerly known as Leave a Legacy) with Jim Redden and the class of 1996 with the goal of creating a culture of giving and improving the school’s facilities through the financial contributions of graduating students. So Watkins was thrilled, but not surprised, when he learned of the class of 2007’s fundraising efforts.
 
Under the leadership of co-chairs Sarah Drawert and Peter Trilikis, both MBA ’07, the MBA Legacy Campaign achieved a new standard last year when 75 percent of graduating full-time MBA students pledged a record total of $209,631 toward their class gift—an outdoor study area.
 
To prepare for her leadership role, Drawert applied lessons learned from her “Advocacy” class and conducted her own case study by analyzing the 2006 Legacy Campaign. She and Trilikis theorized that if students played an active part in determining the gift idea, they would feel connected to the project and be more likely to pledge.
 
They were right.
 
“It made students feel some sort of ownership,” Drawert says. As a result of involving students from the beginning, 96 percent of the class voted on the idea.
 
In her research, Drawert determined that real estate gifts had been consistently popular among students. “When people come back, they want to be able to show their kids something they did—a physical place or a plaque on the wall,” she says.
 
Thus, the fundraising team offered two notable incentives to ensure donors would maintain a permanent connection to McCombs. Any student who pledged $2,007 or more would be recognized on a personalized brick built into the outdoor study area.
 
Those who pledged $5,000 or more received a Texas Exes Life Membership discount, another way for students to continue their association with the university.
 
All MBAs who contributed were entered into a raffle for prizes that included a weekend hotel stay, round-trip airfare for two and use of Dean Eric Hirst’s parking pass for two weeks.
 
As another marketing tactic, Drawert and Trilikis encouraged classmates to think about how an outdoor study area could improve the business school’s rankings, noting that experts believe the level of giving reflects how students perceive their overall business school experience.
 
She also says some students did not realize that many of their favorite hangouts, including the MBA Carpenter Center lounge and the 21st Street plaza, were funded or renovated by previous MBA classes.
 
Drawert suggested to the class of 2007 that their donations could not only enhance the school’s facilities, but also attract high-caliber students for years to come. “It’s important to give back and improve the experience of incoming students,” she says. “You’re investing in the school that is on your resume.”
 
Watkins agrees. He still visits McCombs to promote the MBA Legacy Campaign and hopes the donations of each class will continue to raise the bar.
 
“It gives me great pride in all of our classes,” he says. “It’s incredible. There is no limit to what can happen.” —Ashley Warren

 

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