Jun 2, 2015Beyond the Car Wash
Raising money is something that athletic trainers may not be expecting to encounter. However, if the need arises, having strategies in place will help increase the investment of time. On Friday, June 26, you may want to attend “Effective Fundraising Opportunities for Athletic Training Programs,” presented by Jeff Konin, PhD, PT, ATC, FACSM, FNATA, Professor and Chair of the Physical Therapy Department at the University of Rhode Island.
This presentation’s focus will be on techniques that have been used successfully with fundraising. “Fundraising is not an easy thing to do and it can be very time consuming,” Konin says. “Going into it blindly may not yield optimal results.
“I honestly think everyone can benefit from this presentation, as the techniques of fundraising are not formally taught in our education anywhere,” he continues. “It is a learned process and too often without formal training, but rather experience that could be good or bad. Most times, such on-the-job training is all we have to go on. Perhaps students who are trying to raise money for any specific reason would find this presentation of greatest value–especially those trying to raise money to attend a conference that requires travel.”
Although fundraising may be approached with dread, this presentation will include some ideas that are both fun and practical. “I think it will be refreshing to learn about the many existing opportunities that most of us don’t tap into,” Konin says. “Anyone who has a goal of raising money in the near future will benefit from planning to attend. I think the biggest selling point is that the days of car washes and bake sales are over. Students in a professional program do not have the time to do these things, and the amount of money raised by these methods all too often doesn’t come close to the goals needed.”
