PittTeleFund raises money from alumni for University

Although many students dread the call of the latest telemarketer, PittTeleFund offers a new… Although many students dread the call of the latest telemarketer, PittTeleFund offers a new twist on the calling business that helps students and the University as well.

PittTeleFund is an organization that contacts alumni by phone to raise money for Pitt.

Established in 1989, PittTeleFund, located in Craig Hall, is a branch of the Office of Institutional Advancement’s Department of Annual Giving.

Last year, PittTeleFund eclipsed the $2 million mark. The goal for this year is $2.5 million.

PittTeleFund accounts for more than 60 percent of the donations at Pitt, according to Sean Dean, PittTeleFund’s program manager.

“It’s a way to relay positive information [to the alumni], keep them in touch with the University, ask for possible contributions and continue good relations with the alumni,” Dean said. “Plus, it’s great for the students, too. You can’t help but learn from alumni.”

PittTeleFund is a “resume building experience” and provides a way for students to get involved with the University, improve communication skills, earn money and meet new friends, according to Dean.

“You have to be a good communicator to succeed,” he said.

Paying employees $7 an hour, PittTeleFund is staffed primarily by Pitt undergraduates, and offers flexible work schedules for students.

“Students basically work as much as they want. Yet, they cannot exceed working more than 40 hours a week, but they are required to work [a minimum of] three shifts a week,” Dean said.

The day shifts run Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the evening shifts run Sunday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

PittTeleFund is also having its own “TeleFund Campaign” within the employees of the organization, giving students a chance to raise money toward areas of interest within the University.

“You can give as much as you [want] from our own paycheck,” junior Aisha Collins said. They are aiming for about $600, she added.

The money the students raise this year goes to the Freedom Honors Society and the University’s chapter of Red Cross.

“There are great people that work here, you get to meet a lot of friends, but also you are raising money for the University,” junior Katie Dell said.

Dell has been working for PittTeleFund for more than a year and has raised $35,000 since June 2002.

“The supervisors are great. They know that you are students first and the flexibility is really nice because you can basically create your own schedule,” Collins said.

Former callers, who are now employed as full-time employees at the University, manage PittTeleFund. The managers guide the students through the training process to become a PittTeleFund caller.

“The best part [of PittTeleFund] is the prospects you hope to get money from are able to give to any group or organization they wish,” Collins added.

PittTeleFund offers the opportunity to talk to some big name people that once went to Pitt.

“I actually talked to Tony Dorsett once, but only for a minute,” Dell said. “It’s cool that you get to talk to a lot of different alumni.”

“By talking to alumni, students get the chance to make contacts and a possible chance to find out about job opportunities,” Dean said. “You never know where an alumni might be able to lead you.”