Seniors asked to give back to UM community

A group of University of Montana seniors is discovering that asking their peers to give back to their university is proving to be quite the challenge.

The Senior Challenge 2008, a student-run campaign, was created as a way to get seniors to donate money to the University before they graduate.

“It’s a way to show the faculty, staff and the community that the senior class is behind the University of Montana,” said Nick Ehnot, a UM senior in communications and chairman of the 2008 committee.

The challenge originally started in 2001 but went on a six-year hiatus until last year due to lack of participation — something that the current committee is trying to overcome.

Ehnot said because seniors are graduating soon and are often plagued with debt from student loans, they don’t feel inclined to give back to the school they feel only takes.

“We’ve definitely gotten some negative feedback – it’s definitely been a challenge,” Ehnot said. “But we try to make people see the positive side of giving. We try to give them concrete ideas of where the money goes.”

According to the UM Foundation, a student’s tuition only accounts for 27 percent of the University’s operating budget. State funding only covers 12 percent. This is why private funding, such as donations, is essential, Ehnot said.

“[The negative feedback] is because people don’t understand who it’s helping,” Ehnot said. “We try to break it down so they understand that we’re not trying to take their money just because. We’re trying to help out future graduating classes,” Ehnot said.

Donations given to the Senior Challenge 2008 can be directed to any University-affiliated group or department the donor chooses to support. If the senior does not choose a department, the donation becomes “unrestricted.”

Unrestricted gifts are combined into a larger fund, and the committee members will decide where that money is best spent.

“The committee votes on where that money goes to,” Ehnot said. “But that’s challenging — trying to represent the senior class as best as possible.”

Heather VanGelder, a senior in elementary education and a committee member, said that the difficulty of getting seniors to participate is even greater than raising money for the cause.

“That’s the hardest part, getting people on board,” VanGelder said.

More than $1,000 was raised last year with this year’s goal set at $2,008.

The Senior Challenge 2008 kick-off event is at 7 p.m. at the Press Box on Thursday, Feb. 21 with appetizers, a free drink voucher and door prizes.

The Senior Challenge 2008 is a part of the UM Excellence Fund, a branch of the UM Foundation responsible for contacting people associated with the University with the goal of obtaining donations.

Seniors who make donations will receive a tassel charm to wear during graduation, their name printed on the UM Foundation Web site and a VIP party at a later date.

VanGelder said seniors who show appreciation of the University will be appreciated too — a cycle she hopes will repeat itself.

“We’re trying to make it more personal,” VanGelder said. “And let the students know that the gift they are giving serves a purpose.”