UCF Sales Team Raises $100,000
for Seven Charities

By JOANNE CHIVE and CHRISTINE DELLERT for the UCF website

Originally published Tuesday, April 8, 2008
 
A UCF marketing instructor devised a plan for her students to improve their sales techniques, gain real-world experience and raise money for nonprofits, all at the same time.

The results exceeded expectations when they were tallied last month. The students collected nearly $100,000 in donations for seven local and national charities.

Nicole Howatt, an instructor in the University of Central Florida's Professional Selling Program, created the class assignment dubbed "UCF Sales Apprentice 2008."

PHOTO:  Courtesy of the Professional Selling Program. UCF business students Meredith McKenna, Andy Burkley, Abagail Messman and Mike Marroquin recently raised more than $6,000 for the Tug McGraw Foundation, an organization that enhances the quality of life for children and adults with brain tumors.

She divided the class into seven teams. Each team had to identify a nonprofit to support and then teams had to meet with a minimum of four local businesses to solicit donations. While the teams were encouraged to get creative and raise funds in a variety of ways, at least four donations had to come from companies they met with in person.

"I wanted to ensure that the students graduated with real-life sales experience," Howatt said. "This project gave them an opportunity to craft their selling skills by making sales presentations to companies. At the same time, they were able to raise money for a great cause and partner with the community."

The winning team raised more than $6,000 and secured discounted car rentals for the Tug McGraw Foundation, an organization that enhances the quality of life for children and adults with brain tumors. The group estimated that if just 20 percent of patients used its donated discount with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, they would save about $55,000 over three years.

The project hit close to home for one team member, Meredith McKenna, 22, of Indian Rocks Beach, whose sister-in-law suffers from a brain tumor.

The other members of the winning team are Andy Burkley, 23, of Pompano Beach; Abagail Messman, 22, of Vero Beach; and Mike Marroquin, 22, of Fort Lauderdale.

The team raised the money by soliciting donations from companies, sororities and a Tampa radio station. The station gave them a guitar autographed by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill that will be auctioned on eBay.

All of the team members were featured last week in a print advertisement in the Orlando Sentinel and will appear on a billboard in the area, donated by Clear Channel Outdoor.
Other donations from the class project will go toward the Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, New Hope for Kids, American Heart Association, In Harmony with Nature and Relay for Life.

Each year, 32 marketing students enroll in the highly competitive UCF Professional Selling Program. The program is just one of approximately 30 specialized sales undergraduate programs in the nation. In addition to sales classes, students are paired with a professional mentor both semesters of the program.

UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 6th largest in the nation with more than 48,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development.  UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more UCF news, visit http://news.ucf.edu.