Since we are approaching the end of the year, the season for “asking” is in full swing. Donations to institutions have never been more necessary, even as the funds that provide such gifts have never been so stressed. I’ve noticed that many institutions are postponing capital campaigns, which caused me to ponder my experiences as a faculty member regarding fund raising among campus employees.
Each institution with which I’ve been affiliated has run a capital campaign that has included a faculty/staff element. I’ve always given gladly to these, in part because I have believed in their specific missions and in part because I know that it really does have an effect on donors when they hear that on-campus folks are participating. As a junior faculty member, I chose to designate my gift to my department, figuring that my dollars could be used by the department chairperson to supplement our work. I was enthusiastic about that kind of giving, knowing that it was not falling into a great black hole somewhere. As a department chairman, I used such gifts to enhance faculty and student travel budgets, to provide incentives like gift cards, and to supplement other needs within the department. I was grateful that others, including my colleagues, had chosen to give to those accounts, particularly during budget cuts.
I know, however, that some institutions are heavy-handed about such giving, all but mandating it and directing it wherever the senior administration wishes to send it. At other colleges, it’s not the capital campaigns that exert pressure but the “community chest” kinds of programs. I’ve also heard of political campaigns receiving leveraged gifts from campus leaders.
I can’t verify the story, but I once overhead someone say that about 20 years ago his institution actually deducted a mandatory payroll “gift” from each faculty/staff member each pay period. Employees could opt out, but such a choice meant that they were labeled as not being “team players.” How do you feel about “voluntary” donations? Have you ever experienced pressure to give to campaigns that you really did not support?
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12 Responses to Capital Offenses?
optimysticynic - December 9, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Every day, in every way…what happened to hiding one’s light under a bushel?
d_f_b - December 9, 2009 at 3:41 pm
At my first job, whether someone donated to the university’s capital fund was public knowledge, and there was much administrative pressure for faculty, staff, and administrators to donate. I actually had a senior faculty member in my department come by and advise me that it would look bad come tenure time if I wasn’t on the list of consistent donors–so I signed up.Of course, I also left as soon as I could, so I guess it wouldn’t have mattered in the end.
11247832 - December 9, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I haven’t had to deal with this sort of thing myself, but it sounds like a variant of something that goes on quite often in business. If you listen to working people, you may hear them express loathing of the United Way. That is not because they hate its agencies. It is because they are annually almost forced to contribute so that their bosses can be philanthropic big shots.
vldavis - December 9, 2009 at 5:14 pm
At the last university I taught at faculty were expected to give to the capital campaign. I refused to do so for a number of reasons not the least of which was inadequate faculty salaries and a history of funds not being handled by the institution properly. The faculty member in charge of the campaign donated in my name when she discovered that I was refusing to do so. I wasn’t happy about it, but by the time it was done there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
rejani - December 9, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Yes. I have been quasi-pressured to donate to two causes that I’m not particularly happy about. They are both scholarships named for former colleagues who treated me horribly when I was a junior faculty member. One did everything in his power to keep me from acquiring tenure and being promoted, and the other, snake that he is, winnowed his way ahead of me on everything as the darling of the department although he had less time, fewer degrees and far fewer publications than I did. He gave nice big friendly parties seemed to be his major talent, and he organized groupd of collegues to help new faculty move into their homes or apartments when they first arrived on campus. At any rate I refuse to contribute to either of these funds although I’ve refused to make a public statement about it. However, I’m asked to contribute to these scholarship funds my blood literally boils.
john_d_foubert_phd - December 9, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I give to lots of things, gladly. Have I ever felt pressure to give to give to campaigns I didn’t fully support? Yes. When the Dean at the School of Education at my previous institution sent a letter to my home asking me to donate to the School of Education during the year I was going up for tenure — a tenure process in which she played a key role — that indeed was pressure. Undue and I believe unethical pressure.
koufax33 - December 10, 2009 at 11:45 am
Its usually in the shape of United Way type things. At OSU, our student affairs office regularly sends out updates on the number and percentage of donors among staff which includes graduate students. I find it difficult for a GA not to feel pressure when each office has a “coordinator”, who is usually a superior in rank. Especially since they are paid poorly! @Rejani – what school is this? I would kill to have someone help me move in! Otherwise, I don’t blame you@john – those things are generally sent out by some administrative assistant and coincidental, unless you got a personal phone call from the dean herself; I see your point though but I doubt you were targeted because of tenure review.
gomiller - December 10, 2009 at 11:54 am
My partner and I are vegetarians and only donate to animal rights organizations. Every time I am asked to give to a campus cause, I get strange looks when I explain our philosophy when it comes to charitable causes.
uidaho1 - December 10, 2009 at 12:43 pm
At a place I worked last year there was going to be “voluntary” donations to a president’s slush fund in the name of “greatness”. No oversight that any of us could tell. When not enough people signed up to donate it was then going to become mandatory. So now we were going to have “mandatory voluntary donations” with a certain percentage of our pay dictated. Someone posted that if they did that they would never spend another penny on campus again. Fortunately this travesty did not come to pass. Of course this year we are having mandatory donations in the form of furloughs.
superdude - December 11, 2009 at 5:44 pm
My retirement plan contributions have been reduced 20% and my pay cut by 5%.Sorry, but “already giving at the office” has taken on new meaning.
laoshi - December 11, 2009 at 9:57 pm
It’s racketeering, pure and simple. Then again, that’s how Democrats get elected. . .we can’t have our cake and eat it too.
amnirov - December 16, 2009 at 11:15 am
I’m not paying to go to work. Nor do I give to any charity. My tax dollars are my charity.