Members of Pi Beta Phi pose outside their house after receiving a check for winning The Union Homecoming Challenge last week. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Perry
As part of last week’s Homecoming festivities, SMU’s Student Foundation hosted the Homecoming Challenge in an effort to solicit gifts from the students representing various organizations around campus. The Union received over 768 gifts in one week, greatly surpassing the 840 class gifts received in one year.
“In 2007, we had 295 student donors all year,” said Chip Hiemenz, the assistant director to SMU’s Young Alumni Programs and Development. “In 2008, we had 547 and in 2009 we had 845. Again, these were for the entire school year, so as you can see, we are on pace to shatter our record of 845 last year.”
Organizations involved in this year’s Homecoming Challenge that received a 100 percent participation rating were Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Kappa Kappa Gamma, creating a three-way tie for first place. Each gift received counts for the organization’s annual gift to SMU as part of the SMU Unbridled: Second Century Campaign.
According to Pi Beta Phi Vice President of Event Planning Lindsey Perry, all 142 active members gave a gift to SMU.
“Our chapter hopes to use the $1,085 check presented by the SMU Young Alumni towards establishing a Pi Beta Phi scholarship fund,” Perry said. “We are so grateful for our brand new house on campus, so we felt passionate about giving the money we received back to the university. Winning this honorable award proves that Pi Beta Phi cares about the future of Southern Methodist University and our dedication to giving back.”
Giving back to SMU was one of the Union’s goals this Homecoming.
“The Homecoming Challenge provided an opportunity for The Union to combine two great traditions here at SMU, those being Homecoming and class giving,” Bailey Holyfield, The Union’s president said. “The gifts received vary greatly because SMU’s giving is designed to allow students and alumni to give back to specific areas of this university that have made an impact or resonated with each individual.”
The winning group receives a check for $1,085 from the Young Alumni Board for their efforts, which they then donate to the organization of their choice. According to Holyfield, The Union and Young Alumni Board are now working to raise $2,170 more to accommodate the other two winners, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Kappa Kappa Gamma.
“This is important as student giving develops the habit of annual giving, which is a factor in the U.S. News and World Report rankings,” Hiemenz said. “Right now, SMU has 18 percent of our alumni making a gift on an annual basis. Schools such as Baylor, TCU and Vanderbilt have close to 30 percent of their alumni making a gift every year. As our percentage increases our ranking will increase, which makes our SMU degree worth more.”
This year’s gifts received according to Hiemenz, went to places like the Cox School of Business, the Lyle School of Engineering, Dedman College and the Mustang Club.
Started in September of 2008, SMU Unbridled was created to celebrate SMU’s 100-year anniversary. The goal, according to Hiemenz, is to raise $750 million, while focusing on student quality, faculty and academic excellence and improving the overall campus experience. The campaign has also announced their goal of increase SMU alumni donations by 25 percent to compete with other private institutions.
“SMU has set one of its major goals of its Second Century Campaign as achieving an overall total of 25 percent alumni giving participation,” Holyfield said. “This means, no matter if the gifts are large or small, we just want people to participate in a tradition that says: I enjoyed my experience at SMU and support its work and future efforts and growth. Through class giving, SMU students can tangibly support the school they love.”
