Although it took a long time to organize, student leaders now have an office intent on raising and saving money.
This is the first year a fundraising agency, or development office, has been part of the Associated Students of the University of Utah. In years past, student leaders worked directly with donors for discounted goods for their events.
“We want to unify that so everyone can work through this office,” said Pete Johnson, the director of the office. “We think we can get better discounts, save time, save money.”
The office spent most of Fall Semester working with the university’s development office and learning about fundraising. In January the office leadership changed and, as the new director of the office, Johnson spent much of that month reorganizing the board and learning fundraising procedure.
After learning so much, the office still had a hard time raising money. Johnson does not know how much money the office has raised since its creation when Ben Lowe and Mike Nelson took office.
“Starting was like going back to the basics,” Johnson said. “It’s a really slow learning curve.”
Johnson also spent a lot of time educating ASUU leaders about how he wants them to use his office.
The Development Office now has a list of goals it would like to accomplish by the end of the semester. These goals include 1) organizing an endowment campaign for the child-care center, 2) finding sponsors and donors for various ASUU programs and 3) making a list of donors students can contact for discounts or free goods for activities.
The Development Office currently has a list of about 10 companies students can contact when they need food donated for an activity. Johnson hopes to identify companies that can also donate other supplies toward the operation of ASUU.
“ASUU spends a lot of money on products,” Johnson said. “That money could be reduced.”
The office also hopes to set up a plan defining what the office does and how it runs so the administration next year can start using the office effectively without spending as much time organizing the office and learning how development works.
Johnson hopes the office will remain in existence next year, but he acknowledges the possibility that an incoming administration may close it.
“This is a brand new office, it could just as easily be terminated,” Johnson said. “If they keep the office, the Development Office will be able to save a lot of money for ASUU.”
Johnson holds the “outlandish goal” that the Development Office could eventually save enough money that the student activity fee could be reduced, although he acknowledges that something like that will not happen in the near future. For now he is carefully saving money so ASUU can afford more programs.
“If you save money then you have more money to do things with,” he said. “I’m sure students would rather have an extra party than pay for pencils for ASUU.”