Topic: Small Changes to the Big Green

[Doing it the Herd Way]

There have been some small changes with the Big Green recently and I?d like to help get the word out. First and foremost, there is a new website that is a standalone website instead of the harder to find and navigate section of HerdZone. Check it out at https://www.marshallbiggreen.org. This should be easier to navigate and find what you are looking for. There have been a couple of buttons and links that are not going where they are supposed to that have been discovered, so if you find any, please let me or someone at the Big Green know so they can have the website administrator make the corrections.

Secondly, the donor levels have had some slight changes. No changes to the money ranges or anything, but what you receive at those various levels have been enhanced a little.you can find the donor levels on various pages of the above website, but the Perks page has the graphic on there for sure.

Another change is the option to pay monthly but have the monthly withdrawal continue to come out until you cancel it or make changes. This option was added due to many becoming lapsed members and not realizing that the withdrawals had stopped coming out once their annual donation had been reached. Please note this is an option and not mandatory. It was something that was not available with the software previously.

If anyone needs to renew for this year; restart their membership after a period of not being a member; or become a member for the first time, please reach out to me via DM here, or on Facebook or Twitter if you prefer. I will assist you with whatever you need and answer whatever I can. My goal is to help members get what they want out of their Big Green membership and grow and evolve the Big Green so that it can be the best it can be for everyone.

- Rus Livingood of The ThunderCast

[Doing it the Herd Way]

I forgot to mention that the previously named Annual Fund is now named the Marshall Athletics Fund. It is a simple name change but a branding decision because so many people that lets people unfamiliar with the name know exactly what the fund is and where the money goes.

[HerdinNT]

I was hoping to see some personnel changes. 

[gochneaur645]

Website looks nice

[MUonium]

the gig green is still part of MU athletics, correct?

i have a hypothetical question-

if a large/inordinate number of donations go to one sport, does the athletic dept simply move funds around to even things out?

[Doing it the Herd Way]

the gig green is still part of MU athletics, correct?

i have a hypothetical question-

if a large/inordinate number of donations go to one sport, does the athletic dept simply move funds around to even things out?

I do not believe so. Each sport has their own Championship Fund that you can give to directly. The formerly named Annual Fund, which is now called the Marshall Athletics Fund, goes to scholarships for all sports. Individual sport funding helps that sport. I have made individual sport donations and I know many others have as well. These are options you can select on the donation website. Some sports have names associated with the funds like Tip Off Club, 2020 Club, Dugout Club, etc. But all sports can be donated to individually and separately from the overall Marshall Athletics Fund.

[hookem herd]

Like the site but was unable to check my priority points.

[Doing it the Herd Way]

Like the site but was unable to check my priority points.

Was it a link error? Couldn?t find it? Or something different? I was able to see mine earlier. I?d like to help you find it or get it fixed.

[s1uggo]

the gig green is still part of MU athletics, correct?

i have a hypothetical question-

if a large/inordinate number of donations go to one sport, does the athletic dept simply move funds around to even things out?

kinda of.  lets say we have a wrestling team.  and the team budget is $100k, from the MU AD.  Now  some donor comes in and gives $97k, that means $3k comes from the MU AD and there is $97k to give to the football team.  the only way , say wrestling could have more than $100k is for some donor to give more than $100k.  And since wrestling was funded by a donor, their money and go someplace else, like football or maybe basketball. 

[hookem herd]

Was it a link error? Couldn?t find it? Or something different? I was able to see mine earlier. I?d like to help you find it or get it fixed.

it just didn?t me the option. We have donating $1600 per year since 2011 but do have clue how points we aquitered.

[Big City]

Like the site but was unable to check my priority points.

Doesn't help with the site but did you receive the recent mailer via postal service? That has your update stats, points etc.

[Doing it the Herd Way]

it just didn?t me the option. We have donating $1600 per year since 2011 but do have clue how points we aquitered.

It doesn?t seem to be available on mobile, which I will pass along to the Big Green to see if Paciolan can change that and add a link. It is easy on a desktop or laptop though:

If you click any of the Donate Now buttons on the new site, it takes you to the ?evenue? website that has been used for online donations and tickets and such for quite some time. The new site for the Big Green is for navigational ease and better information, but the actual donation entry site remains the same so as it is all ran by Paciolan. From your landing spot on evenue from clicking Donate Now, you may have to log in unless you already are. Once logged in, the ?Priority Points?  link is on the bottom right of your profile page.

[W0lfman]

Thanks for sharing the info!

[marshallmark]

kinda of.  lets say we have a wrestling team.  and the team budget is $100k, from the MU AD.  Now  some donor comes in and gives $97k, that means $3k comes from the MU AD and there is $97k to give to the football team.  the only way , say wrestling could have more than $100k is for some donor to give more than $100k.  And since wrestling was funded by a donor, their money and go someplace else, like football or maybe basketball.

I believe you are correct that this has happened before - esp. under one previous Prez; however, its not supposed to be that way and I believe (from what I've been reliably told) that the donations to specific sports allows them to do special, extra things for the sport or student athletes and the basics (tuition/room/board/travel/per diem/etc.) are fully covered by the university with supplementation by the Big Green

[svherd]

I really like the option of donating to a specific sport. Glad its being done. Should have been that way from the get go.

[Doing it the Herd Way]

it just didn?t me the option. We have donating $1600 per year since 2011 but do have clue how points we aquitered.

I am unable to DM, but if you DM me, I can also help you with whatever you need. The Prioirty Points section has a place that shows your total points, where that ranks, and a breakdown of how you accumulated those points.

[ironcheftvdinner]

I would imagine the funding is handled something like this:

Each sport has a budget that is considered a fund one account. That money is money allocated and given by the school.

After that, each sport has what is called a fund two account. This account is where all monies donated/raised would go.

I would think that all monies designated to a specific sport is required to go to said sport. That does not mean that some shady administration could take budgeted or fund one monies away because of donated/raised monies.

In the above example:

Wrestling has a 100,000 budget from the school. This is Fund 1.
A donor donates 97,000 to wrestling. This is Fund 2.
Wrestling now has 197,000 to operate with from their two funds.

Fund 1 money will not roll over from one fiscal year to another if that money is not used. Spend it or lose it.

Fund 2 money will roll over from one year to the next. This is like a savings account.

[Doing it the Herd Way]

I really like the option of donating to a specific sport. Glad its being done. Should have been that way from the get go.

Let me clarify for everyone, not necessarily to you, svherd. Donating to specific sports is not new. For example, the Tip Off Club and Quarterback Club has been around for quite a while. What we have called these funds?previously ?booster clubs? and now Championship Funds?was changed more than a year ago. Sport specific donating is now slightly easier as they have included links to donate to those funds with every article and elsewhere on the HerdZone site. There is a prominent link under the Marshall Athletics Fund for Sport Specific Giving, but that was always an option for donating.

And, those amounts donated toward specific sports do not count toward the Marshall Athletic Fund donor levels. Example: $1,000 to the MAF and $500 to Men?s Soccer does not put someone in the Leaders level and they would not meet the requirements for premium parking. I am just trying to clear that up for anyone reading that may have that as a question or an idea. Meeting any requirements for tickets or parking must be accomplished through the MAF.

[gtrman4herd]

This past year I made sport specific donations to several programs.  I got thank you cards from each of the individual coaches so I know the money went to that program.

[miltonherdfan]

Let me clarify for everyone, not necessarily to you, svherd. Donating to specific sports is not new. For example, the Tip Off Club and Quarterback Club has been around for quite a while. What we have called these funds?previously ?booster clubs? and now Championship Funds?was changed more than a year ago. Sport specific donating is now slightly easier as they have included links to donate to those funds with every article and elsewhere on the HerdZone site. There is a prominent link under the Marshall Athletics Fund for Sport Specific Giving, but that was always an option for donating.

And, those amounts donated toward specific sports do not count toward the Marshall Athletic Fund donor levels. Example: $1,000 to the MAF and $500 to Men?s Soccer does not put someone in the Leaders level and they would not meet the requirements for premium parking. I am just trying to clear that up for anyone reading that may have that as a question or an idea. Meeting any requirements for tickets or parking must be accomplished through the MAF.

that is very good info!  i always assumed it woulda counted towards the MAF.

[Doing it the Herd Way]

I believe that is why it is good to try and share as much information as I can. I am on the Board of the Big Green, and if I do not know the exact answer, I will get it for whatever questions anyone may have. Anyone needing help getting the most out of what they desire for their membership should reach out.

[MUther]

it just didn?t me the option. We have donating $1600 per year since 2011 but do have clue how points we aquitered.

Click on donate on the new page.  It will take you back to Herdzone.  Log in there and hit manage my account.  Near the bottom right it will say view my priority points.

Or, under perks button on the new link, select priority points and it will take you to that page at Herdzone and do same.  Log in and select view my priority points on the lower right.

Make sure you are logged in under the account that donates if you are in a group or family that combines donations.

[svherd]

We use Herd Perks a lot of places, savings adds up over time.

[hookem herd]

Click on donate on the new page.  It will take you back to Herdzone.  Log in there and hit manage my account.  Near the bottom right it will say view my priority points.

Or, under perks button on the new link, select priority points and it will take you to that page at Herdzone and do same.  Log in and select view my priority points on the lower right.

Make sure you are logged in under the account that donates if you are in a group or family that combines donations.

Thank you.

[s1uggo]

I believe you are correct that this has happened before - esp. under one previous Prez; however, its not supposed to be that way and I believe (from what I've been reliably told) that the donations to specific sports allows them to do special, extra things for the sport or student athletes and the basics (tuition/room/board/travel/per diem/etc.) are fully covered by the university with supplementation by the Big Green

I think you r correct they changed that policy