Why do people donate to their Universities?

I ignore all those 512 calls also

 

This is just a guess on my part. Some may give to college football programs to feel per of the team. Some may give so the school can take part in more cutting edge research. Some may give so that it is easier for there kids to get accepted to the college.

Some may give so that there school is thought to have a high standing so make there degree more Worth while.

Again these are just guess on my part. I have never dontated to a college and don't plan to.

 

The only thing out of whack is the level of donations to academics/athletics.

There was a great study done a few years ago that said if you have money to donate do not donate it to schools with a massive endowment (Rice/Harvard/Yale/Stanford/Princeton/whoever), your charity dollars are exponentially better spent elsewhere.

 

DD you're spot on. That money would be much better served by donating to just causes that help the unfortunate who really need the help.

 

Master's from SHSU, I don't get calls but I get a ton emails asking for donations. I already gave you guys thousands of dollars, calm down.

 

I find it annoying when super wealthy people donate to schools that already have a huge endowment. I commend those that donate to the schools that don't have much.

 

It is like buying a Ferrari and cruising around town so everybody stares at you but the effect lasts long after you are dead.

Conspicuous largess to show everybody how important you are. Its an ego stroking exercise.

And its sort of like charity, but you don't have to associate with those disgusting smelly poor people.

 

Same reason you give money to Burger King. It makes them feel good.

 

For sports ticket priority. I had final four tickets 3 separate years but we lost in the elite 8.

 

Cuz they cray.

 

Sense of pride. Athletics tickets priority (some schools require a large donation just to get season tickets). Alumni perks.

I've given maybe $300 over the last 10 years. Don't really like giving to the general fund, and the cost/benefit of being in the alumni association or athletic foundation has become too much for me.

 

I paid for lifetime alumni association memberships for my wife and I. Don't really know why. Like $500 I think. We each got a shirt and a pen.

 

There are times when I'm proud to be a longhorn, but it's criminal how much that school stole from its students and didn't put it back into the student body. My second year is when UT signed the deal with ESPN; the next year, so many language courses were cancelled, gym hours reduced, food and housing prices soared.

I should've stayed in Houston

 

When you're a big time contributor it helps build connections and gives you networking due to common school name. I don't think anybody does it for philanthropic reasons.

 

I donate to the scholarship fund that I was a beneficiary of.

 

They repeatedly emphasize that money for the athletics program both donated and raised from endorsement deals and such cannot be appropriated for academic expenses or whatnot.

Don't know how true that is but everytime someone at UT complains, that is the boilerplate that is spewed out.

 

This is true. It's why it disgusts me when I see multi-million dollar donations to athletic programs.

 

Some very successful people look back and see that their college days had a profound effect on their life.