Can you demand back a monetary donation?

[Heidict]

Apparently some big time business guy who has donated millions of dollars to the UCONN football program is upset that he wasn't consulted on who they were going to hire for their new head coach. Now he wants 3 million dollars of his donation returned to him and his name taken off of the Burton Athletic Center.

Do they have to return this money to him? And since when are donors, regardless of how substantial, consulted when it comes to hiring staff?

He sounds like a blowhard who got his ego hurt and is now going to take his toys and go home. Or am I reading this all wrong and is he justifiable in his concerns?

Here is the 6 page letter he sent to the athletic director. http://http://media.nbcbayarea.com/documents/Burton+Ltr.pdf And a link to the news story. http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/...ions-Back-Over-Football-Hiring-114560449.html

 

[Rumpus]

That's a good question. I heard about this, this morning. I have the same questions that you do.
1. Can you demand your money back?
2. Can you influence hiring practices?

It seems that more disgruntled personalities are coming out of the woodwork since Randy Edsel announced that he is leaving UConn's football team. His leaving is due in part to the long time it takes to recruit a freshman football player because UConn's academic standards are so high. New recruits do not get an answer right away and go elsewhere where the standards are lower.
I guess whether Burton gets his money back depends upon the deal that was attached to donating it in the first place. If certain concessions and promises were made and were not followed through on, I would guess they need to write him a check and get out the paint.

 

[Janet Hill]

He probably won't get his money back, but I think it's common in college football for big donors to get a little say.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Sounds like a blowhard to me and donations of any kind should NEVER have strings attached.

However, I'd give the money back to the guy quickly and ban him from the campus.


And really? A college has academic standards for EVERYONE entering and this is a problem how?

 

[LuvOrlando]

If strings are attached to a donation doesn't that money then slide over into bribe territory?

 

[Handbag Lady]

If strings are attached to a donation doesn't that money then slide over into bribe territory?

That's what I'm thinking.

 

[plutotek]

Actually, given that college athletics is big business for the school, I would suspect 'strings' being attached to donations would be more of akin to a business deal than bribery-"I'll give you X amount of money, you name the building after me."

Now, I'm not familiar w/the specifics regarding the departure of the previous AD, but after reading the letter this gentleman wrote, the question that really begs to be answered is whether he has very good medical insurance. I mean, his shoulder has GOT to be sore after all that patting on the back he was doing.

 

[LilyWDW]

Sounds like a blowhard to me and donations of any kind should NEVER have strings attached.

However, I'd give the money back to the guy quickly and ban him from the campus.


And really? A college has academic standards for EVERYONE entering and this is a problem how?

 

[Rumpus]

Sounds like a blowhard to me and donations of any kind should NEVER have strings attached.

However, I'd give the money back to the guy quickly and ban him from the campus.


And really? A college has academic standards for EVERYONE entering and this is a problem how?

It has been a problem for Randy Edsel only because UConn takes too long to determine academic eligibility. Good football players are recruited from across the country and get multiple offers. Just as any freshman has to decide in a timely way which scholarship they are going to accept, football recruits have to make the same decision when faced with multiple offers. If they don't have an answer from their "First Choice" about their academic eligibility, than they have to take their second choice. Edsel has felt that UConn's slowness has put him at a disadvantage. To play football, one has to be academically qualified anyway so its not like the recruits are taking opportunities as schools with no standards.

 

[Rumpus]

Apparently Burton played football, was an NFL draft, his sons have all played football and he loves the game. His donations far exceed the $3 million he is asking for. His total contributions have been $7 million. In addition to that he rents a box at the field for $50K per year. He pays for a significant part of the program printing; so its not donations in the past but donations that can be counted upon year after year. Now should he get to make key decisions? Probably not, but should Hathaway, the AD, out of appreciation, concern for future donations, and simply for just sensible politics, respond when he calls, keep him in the loop, put him on a "donors' advisory committee" when new coaches are being considered? Absolutely.
How did he become a "successful blowhard"? He grew up very poor in a coal mining town in Kentucky. He was offered a football scholarship without which he said, he would have had to stay in that town and work in the mines the rest of his life and where people live on their paychecks week to week. Because that scholarship provided him with an education that he could have never had, he vowed that he would repay that a hundred times over and contribute to programs that promote and provide higher education. He has done that .
UConn football program functions in part through tuition, taxpayer funds, marketing products, ticket sales and DONATIONS. A coach that can bring a team to the level that UConn has finally reached doesn't come cheap. The girls's basketball coach,Auriemma, is worth his weight in gold and makes about that much money annually. The sale of tee shirts and sweatshirts only provide so much money. Donors are essential. I think a wise AD respects that and involves them in the process.

 

[agnes!]

It has been a problem for Randy Edsel only because UConn takes too long to determine academic eligibility. Good football players are recruited from across the country and get multiple offers. Just as any freshman has to decide in a timely way which scholarship they are going to accept, football recruits have to make the same decision when faced with multiple offers. If they don't have an answer from their "First Choice" about their academic eligibility, than they have to take their second choice. Edsel has felt that UConn's slowness has put him at a disadvantage. To play football, one has to be academically qualified anyway so its not like the recruits are taking opportunities as schools with no standards.

Sounds like Burton's problem is actually not with the football program istself but with whoever it is or whatever office it is that determines academic eligibility...maybe he should donate some money to *that* office, sounds like they need additional staff or more facilities.

agnes!

 

[msmayor]

Sounds like a blowhard to me and donations of any kind should NEVER have strings attached.

However, I'd give the money back to the guy quickly and ban him from the campus.


And really? A college has academic standards for EVERYONE entering and this is a problem how?

Nothing wrong with attaching strings to a donation, especially one like this.

There are a LOT of big donors to colleges that place specific rules on how the funds can be used - for a building, for a scholarship with specific eligibility requirements, etc. Its up to the school to decide if they are willing to accept the stipulations that come along with the gift. If they don't want to, they give it back.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

You can restrict donations to any organization. Now the organization needs to consider if the donation is worth the restrictions or requirements. If he made none at the time of the donation it would be difficult to demand reimbursement. But a good organization will also consider the long term impacts depending on the threshold of the donation.

 

[tlbwriter]

And since when are donors, regardless of how substantial, consulted when it comes to hiring staff?

Oh, since about... always. If you give a lot of money, you have a lot of influence.

 

[mom2travel]

I read an article about this earlier this morning. I think the donor comes across as a whiny baby who expects something in return for his donations and then throws a tantrum when he doesn't get it. I personally feel that a donation is a gift, no strings attached. However, the AD could have extended a courtesy to the donor in recognition of his contributions to the program, and also (unfortunately) to play to the politics of the situation, namely the future donations from Burton. I really really do not like politics, but they exist and need to be dealt with. I don't think Burton should have had a say in who the new coach will be, but keeping him in the loop probably wouldn't have been too difficult. Now instead of a happy donor and lots of money, the AD needs to have some big holes filled. Although no one knows whether Burton would have pulled out even if he had been kept in the loop, if UConn still hired the same guy to fill the coaching spot.

 

[Rumpus]

Sounds like Burton's problem is actually not with the football program istself but with whoever it is or whatever office it is that determines academic eligibility...maybe he should donate some money to *that* office, sounds like they need additional staff or more facilities.

agnes!

No, that wasn't Burton's problem, people believe it was Randy Edsel's problem. He left UConn saying that he "always wanted to be at Maryland". Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. We won't know. Burton's problem was that he wasn't included in the process. I think when you have such a HUGE donor, some politics and sensitivity is in order. Any figure that starts with the word "million" is a big gap to fill.

 

[Rumpus]

In talking to people who really keep up with sports at UConn. All of the coaches have had trouble with Hathaway. He has not been supportive. It is interesting that Jim Calhoun, the men's basketball coach had "no comment".
If Burton was "taking his ball and going home", at the level of his donations, he would have to take the ball, the goal post, the bleachers, the grass and the lawn mower. Hathaway disrespected a dedicated donor and a man who clearly knows something about football. It needs to be fixed.

 

[Costumesaremylife]

A few years back Jane Fond asked for her donation to Harvard back. ( I just looked it up and it was a mutual decision)

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3D61038F937A35751C0A9659C8B63

 

[cm8]

In talking to people who really keep up with sports at UConn. All of the coaches have had trouble with Hathaway. He has not been supportive. It is interesting that Jim Calhoun, the men's basketball coach had "no comment".
If Burton was "taking his ball and going home", at the level of his donations, he would have to take the ball, the goal post, the bleachers, the grass and the lawn mower. Hathaway disrespected a dedicated donor and a man who clearly knows something about football. It needs to be fixed.