Update on GT FB Recruiting Initiative

gtmegafan

Georgia Tech Fan
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First, many thanks to Ibeeballin for being an early mover in getting our initiative known on this site and to the moderators of this site for their patience while we worked out our communication plan and allowing me on to help inform the board.

I'm working with the GTAA on this initiative in the capacity of lead donor/advisor/cheerleader, and I really appreciate the enthusiasm with which this has been received thus far by members of this board and other boards. It's clear that there is a genuine desire amongst the GT Fan and Alumni community to see our athletics department become a leader in talent identification and recruiting, and Todd is committed as AD to seeing us achieve that objective across all sports. Investing in an enhanced level of staffing and technology for football is an important first step in that direction.

After our first 9 days, we are a little over 35% of the way to the first level goal on an annualized basis - assuming the donations represent the first of a two year commitment. (Some have made it clear in their instructions and others have not.) That's a good start, but we would really like to be able to declare "mission accomplished" on hitting our target by signing day, so that Coach Johnson can share more with the broader public about how the resources will help enhance the efforts going forward and get the staffing completed in time for the post NSD planning and evaluation period for 2019 and beyond.

With that in mind, I ask that if you are planning to make a donation to this initiative, please let the GTAA know as soon as possible, even if it will be in the form of a later stage commitment.

Finally, if there are questions that you would like for me to answer regarding this initiative, feel free to post them in this thread and I will respond. I will not overextend into areas that I am not in a position to speak about, but I will respond as best I can to questions that will help you make an informed decision about whether or not to participate with us in this initiative.

Thank you again for your commitment to GT and GT Athletics.
 
Supersizethatorder-mutt

Supersizethatorder-mutt

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That's all well and good, but unless you connect to sites like this one on which all kinds of information is passed along, there's no way for the average Tech fan to even know about this initiative. I have been a donor and season-ticket holder since 1967, and what has been posted on this site is the only thing I have heard about it. No emails, no letters in the regular mail, no calls, NOTHING. If they want to reach this goal, then they'd better start reaching out to everybody.
 
GTJoeBrew

GTJoeBrew

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Supersizethatorder-mutt said:
That's all well and good, but unless you connect to sites like this one on which all kinds of information is passed along, there's no way for the average Tech fan to even know about this initiative. I have been a donor and season-ticket holder since 1967, and what has been posted on this site is the only thing I have heard about it. No emails, no letters in the regular mail, no calls, NOTHING. If they want to reach this goal, then they'd better start reaching out to everybody.
Click to expand...
Same here, haven’t heard a thing since the initiative like 5 years ago.
 

Lavoisier

Ramblin' Wreck
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847
I'd like to echo the above. I've seen it here, Rivals, and on Twitter but nowhere else. This seems to be targeting the hardcore football fans, which unfortunately GT doesn't have that many of. I know fans personally who hadn't heard about it at all simply because they don't post on sports forums or use Twitter all that much. What is the strategy for reaching the average fan? We're too small of a fanbase to just rely on word of mouth.
 

YJMD

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I think you could find a few CS grad students who might be interested in analyzing tweets of football recruits to identify the values that appeal to them, find out which are most compatible with what we offer, and tailor our pitch to them.
 
RonJohn

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@gtmegafan Thank you for your support of GT Athletics. I am a season ticket holder and an AT Fund donor, albeit much less of a donor than you. I saw this initiative here, in a tweet from GeorgiaTechFB, and an article on RamblinWreck.com. I made an extra donation based on the initiative. I haven't received a call from AT Fund ever, and I haven't received a call or email from football or the ticket office.

Could you check with them to see if AT Fund can call or send an email to season ticket holders and AT Fund donors to highlight the drive?
 
LibertyTurns

LibertyTurns

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We’ve got quite a range of experiences. I’m a season ticket holder (5yrs) and have been donating to Roll Call & AT Fund for over 3 decades. I can’t ever recall receiving a call about AT Fund but I do get emails & a thank you note, etc at least once a year. I do get calls & emails about Roll Call & a thank you call every year from a student. The ticket office calls and emails. I’d say their level of contact is fairly good. This happens every year when tickets are about to go on sale for all the major sports.

The amount of times I’ve moved I’ve been amazed at how easy it has seemed for them to find me.
 

gtmegafan

Georgia Tech Fan
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3
RonJohn said:
@gtmegafan Thank you for your support of GT Athletics. I am a season ticket holder and an AT Fund donor, albeit much less of a donor than you. I saw this initiative here, in a tweet from GeorgiaTechFB, and an article on RamblinWreck.com. I made an extra donation based on the initiative. I haven't received a call from AT Fund ever, and I haven't received a call or email from football or the ticket office.

Could you check with them to see if AT Fund can call or send an email to season ticket holders and AT Fund donors to highlight the drive?
Click to expand...

I will chat with GTAA this weekend. I know that they have some additional plans to publicize the initiative but I am not sure which channels will be used. I am seeing a former GT Football player tomorrow in NYC and I will ask if he has heard about it. I know he has an interest in this and he believes others players will as well .

Thank you very much for supporting this effort.
 

bke1984

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Yeah, I think the marketing of this initiative has actually been nothing short of terrible...especially if they're looking to meet the goal by February 7th. I've been an independent season ticket holder for 15 years (counting school) and had them with my parents for 4 years before that. My best friend purchased season tickets last year. Neither he, myself, nor my parents have received any direct contact about the program...yet I've received two separate e-mails asking for feedback on last season. I'm not even sure my dad...a '72 alum knows anything about it...nor does his neighbor, an alum from the mid-50's.

Or how about this...I went to the basketball game last night. Coach Johnson and Coach Woody were both there, but at no time was any announcement made about the program. No marketing material handed out, etc.

I've seen more IPTAY stuff on Clemson fans' cars in the last two days than I've seen regarding this campaign...
 

bke1984

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Just to clarify, I want the program to succeed and I plan to make a donation once I finish my 2018 budget and figure out what I can give. I just think they aren't doing a very good job of making it visible to the masses.
 

Tech93

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I personally feel a phone call from GTAA to season ticket holders and AT Fund donors as myself would be the way to approach this to introduce the program and ask for a donation. I always get called to renew my tickets, so surely they can have people reach out. Having been in the wealth management business for 22 years, you have to pick up the phone to raise any reasonable amount of money.
 
Jacket in Dairyland

Jacket in Dairyland

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I made a donation for this year , and scheduled donations in years to come, based ONLY on information posted on this board. I did receive an email from AT fund acknowledging and thanking me for my donation. I know the school has my mailing address, because I get things about cruises an credit cards, etc. But NOTHING about this donation effort. GET. IT. TOGETHER !!
 
GTBatGirl96

GTBatGirl96

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I've given to roll call every year since I graduated (20+ years), but it wasn't until I joined this board almost 2 years ago that I realized that Roll Call was NOT connected to the athletic association in any way and the Ath Assoc requires a separate donation. I have since started contributing to both, but to echo the post above, would not be if it weren't for this board. I was a more "casual fan" before the 14 Orange bowl -(I went to every home football game when I was a student, but living out of state, can only make one game a year now), but I think I would have been willing to give earlier if I had known.
 

Deleted member 2897

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(Mods, feel free to put this on Recruiting page if it needs to be there instead or in addition)...
(Also Mods, I don't know if we have the ability to headline/front page this on the site, but seems to me this might be a good thing to do)...
Earlier this week I spoke with someone in the Development office who said that about $75,000 was raised in the initial push through year end, from about 125 different donors (I'm going from memory). I think this started on the Rivals board, so it sounds like everyone was pretty pleased, since that was such a small corner of the world relatively speaking.

I know many people on this board have given too. This is my personal please to do a couple things.

1) Throw some money their way through the link below if you haven't yet.
2) Spread the message to several other people, and remind them to forward to several more themselves.

(2) is in some ways even more important than (1). We all know how the numbers can work - its not necessarily about how much money you give, but that we get as many people giving something as possible.

Here is the link again:
http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-footbl/recruitingchallenge.html

I recommend putting together a short email with the link, to have your fellow Georgia Tech grads (or whoever you approach) read about the detail of what the money is going for. Then set up a short conversation and walk them through the details. Again, its important that they give some amount, but its equally as important to get them to approach several of their friends too. This can be kind of like LinkedIn with 6 degrees of separation. I'm sure the folks on this board are from around the country - if each of you approach several friends and they each approach several of their friends, it doesn't take very long for a couple thousand people to be made aware of this.

YOU JUST HAVE TO DO THE WORK. Please make it a priority to DO THE WORK. Its not often we as fans have a chance to materially affect the program. This is one of those times.
 
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RonJohn

RonJohn

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gtmegafan said:
I will chat with GTAA this weekend. I know that they have some additional plans to publicize the initiative but I am not sure which channels will be used. I am seeing a former GT Football player tomorrow in NYC and I will ask if he has heard about it. I know he has an interest in this and he believes others players will as well .

Thank you very much for supporting this effort.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate what you are doing to support the team. I certainly hope that us fans will support you and the team and reach the goal.
 
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