Today, I had a special opportunity to meet Red McCombs and listen to him speak. It was a campaign kickoff event that the BBA Legacy group organized for the first day of their two-week fundraising campaign.(Although I’m not a part of this group, I had the privilege to sit in as an MPA blogger).

In a nutshell, the campaign encourages participation in fundraising among current students. According to the presentation, the goal of BBA Legacy is to improve the undergraduate program’s national rankings by encouraging increased alumni participation as well as increased participation among current students. The funds go to McCombs student programs geared toward developing students into young professionals and preparing them to enter a competitive workforce.

Mr. McCombs came to speak about giving, fundraising, and the challenges it can pose. A UT ’50 alum himself, he knows a little something about giving back to your alma mater. In 2000, he made a $50 million donation to the business school. He champions a message that it’s not about how much you can give; rather, it’s simply about participating and giving an amount you can be proud to give.

He acknowledged that fundraising is difficult. As he put it, we are hardwired to work hard, be thrifty, and grow our resources. Giving up our money often feels unnatural. So, the most important thing he believes you can do in fundraising is to appeal to others’ sense of pride because pride motivates people. Most BBA students and graduates are proud of their major or degree, so it’s important to appeal to that. To do so, he says you must be proud of your campaign and your campaign goal.

When Mr. McCombs donated to the business school, he envisioned an academic climate where every person who graduates has their choice of several job opportunities. He says we are closer to that goal now than we were five years ago, but we’re not there yet, and we won’t be there until people line up and recruit every one of our students. He also mentioned that the MPA program is the closest to his vision, and he hopes that each of the other departments can eventually attain the same status as the MPA program.

The BBA Legacy group and Mr. McCombs’ vision for the school go hand in hand. I just did my part and donated to the campaign this afternoon. If you’re a student or an alum, you should consider doing the same. It doesn’t have to be much. Five dollars is plenty. The BBA giving program and the MPA Legacy are trying to increase its participation percentage, so do your part to help. Visit the BBA New Tradition or  MPA Legacy 2010 pages to learn more about the campaign and to donate.