The UC Davis Annual Fund program raises unrestricted gifts for the campus through alumni, parents, and friends. Contributions to the Annual Fund provide financial aid for students, fund awards to faculty to promote excellence in teaching and research, and assist Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef in acting upon new opportunities or helping people or programs in need on campus. Last year, the Annual Fund Telephone Outreach Program (TOP) raised over $1.4 million for UC Davis. All the supervisors and callers at the TOP are current students of UC Davis. Starting caller pay is $10.00 per hour.
Some consider the Annual Fund TOP to be a telemarketing thing, but because UC Davis is a non-profit organization and isn't trying to sell anything, it really isn't. Raising money is important, but updating demographic information and just having good conversations with alumni is the number one priority.
Overall, the Annual Fund TOP is a fun place to work. The atmosphere is very casual and laid back. However, the caller job can be grueling.
The Annual Fund is a UC Davis student telemarketer pool where UCD students call up alums and solicit them for money. -
It's really not as bad as it sounds. I've heard that it's a great place to work. - ArlenAbraham
I worked at the Annual Fund last year and I must say that the energy level is great and there were a lot of amazing people that worked there. All in all it was a good experience, but it was very hard because in effect, you are calling people and asking for money.
Like any sales job, it helps when you believe in your product, which is easy to do when your product is a University like UCD. You simply talk up the school and remind people of how great their experience was and how much their degree has done for them.
One of the main tools we were given to convince people to give was the powerful and all-important academic ranking. "Remind alumni that their support can help UC Davis go up from it's 2004 US News and World Report ranking of 11th public university in the country."
You see, this ranking is determined by a multi-component matrix that includes graduation rates and pace, number of students enrolled, average G.P.A. and ALUMNI SUPPORT. The logic is that students that give back financially obviously appreciated their experience. Makes sense, right?
Well, at the Annual Fund, we took this ranking very seriously as did the alumni that contributed. We wanted to help raise that ranking, and raised more money in the 2004-2005 school year than EVER BEFORE. Unfortunately some administrative IDIOT reported that only 64% of UC Davis faculty hold professional or doctorate degrees. In actuality this percentage was 98%!!!! This GROSS FACTUAL ERROR knocked our ranking from 11th to 14th! This left me very upset and jaded.
In conclusion, remember that as an alumni, giving back is vital, particularly when UC budgets are being cut more and more every year. But also, do not accept incompetence.
More information
Also see Campaign For UC Davis.
