In earlier years Fred Thompson and Sam Donaldson have come to the campus, but the December 1999 event may top previous highs when James Earl Jones is featured. Getting a loyal clientele of sponsors takes time, but that's the way some people prefer to give. Many participate every year. In addition, we constantly look for new people to bring on board. They offer perks for different levels, he says.
Schools have to be careful, though.
You get in the habit of selling things such as sponsorships and tickets, and consultants recently advised us to move more into the area of pure philanthropy. The speaker program is so successful, though, that we are not going to be changing it. You can lose your shirt on them, paying big up-front money for elements like the speaker, food, facility rental and decorations. We have a special group of donors called Underwriters. They get special recognition, and businesses use it for advertising.