Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE-Every fall University of Wisconsin-Platteville students contact alumni to keep them informed on what is happening on campus, update their current phone, address and place of employment and ask if they would be interested in donating to a scholarship or department on campus.

Twenty-five students work at the phonathon two or three nights a week calling between 45-75 of the 33,000 alumni. The phonathon is a department on campus located in the Alumni/Foundation Office in the Ullsvik Center. The department contacts alumni and fundraises for events, activities and scholarships. One of the goals of the phonathon is to build communication with students and alumni.

The phonathon provides the university with additional funds that are added to the requested scholarships and departments on campus. This year the phonathon has raised $150,000.

"Many of the alumni didn't pledge over the phone, but are sending in a donation," said Gina Udelhofen, coordinator for annual giving and donor relations. "Most donors know which area of the 450 available that they would like their money to go to and many are very willing to give to the university."

This coming spring phonathon student employees will be contacting parents of current students to see if they would be interested in donating to a scholarship or department of the university.

"Our main focus this year is to get more alumni involved. Not just pledging money, but coming back UWP to visit, be at an athletic event, play or reunion," Udelhofen concluded.