Seawolves United Website | Together We Transform brochure

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Stony Brook Athletics department's five-year strategic vision Together We Transform consists or eight elements. Each day this week we will introduce two of the elements. Today's are the third and fourth elements - Developing a Culture of Philanthropy and Financial Support and Amplifying the Stony Brook Brand.

Developing a Culture of Philanthropy and Financial Support
Our ability to generate revenue that can be reinvested into the program will determine how far Stony Brook Athletics can reach over the next five years. As a young institution, Stony Brook is still developing its culture of philanthropy as well as its identity on Long Island, throughout the state and across the country. We must increase revenue that is brought in to the department in order to invest in our infrastructure, including facilities, staff, operations and student-athlete services.

The funding for Stony Brook Athletics has become extremely reliant upon the university and state mechanisms. In order for us to achieve the goals outlined in this plan, we must develop an aggressive strategy that will lead to increases in new revenue from sources such as private contributions, corporate partnerships, ticket sales and licensing. This is only possible by developing and maintaining strong connections with individuals and corporate entities who recognize that supporting Stony Brook Athletics is a strong investment.

 ASPIRATION: Increase overall philanthropic support for Stony Brook Athletics by a minimum of 20 percent each year.

ACTIONS:
- Launch Seawolves United annual giving program in order to generate unrestricted gifts that will benefit all Stony Brook Athletics programs.
- Cultivate donors who can make major gifts ($25,000 and above) in support of facilities, endowments and annual needs.
- Establish an advisory board consisting of major supporters to the athletic department.
- Invest in personnel and training for development staff that revolves around creating a first class giving experience for donors.
- Develop a sound pipeline for major gifts through a focused cultivation strategy across a wide variety of audiences.
- Focus on a targeted event strategy that delivers meaningful engagement opportunities for alumni, fans, supporters and students.
- Foster a strong culture of collaboration with Stony Brook Advancement while continuing to best serve the needs of all campus donors.

ASPIRATION: Cultivate and secure a minimum of 125 major gifts ($25,000 and above) and a minimum of 25 transformational gifts ($100,000 and above) that will support critical initiatives.

ACTIONS:
- Clearly articulate the fundraising priorities of Stony Brook Athletics and identify prospects who have the corresponding interest and capacity to contribute.
- Develop a comprehensive donor relations program that is focused on creating meaningful engagement opportunities for major gift supporters by demonstrating the impact of their support.

ASPIRATION: Generate a minimum of $1,000,000 annually in total sales for all ticketed sports.

ACTIONS:
- Create experiential benefits for season ticket holders and groups by investing resources into providing memorable in-game experiences.
- Implement dynamic pricing structure for events so that games are priced according to demand.
- Develop a process for implementing a priority seating program for football.
- Employ a robust outbound sales staff that can focus on outreach to new audiences.
- Invest in technology that will allow for the most customer-friendly ticketing experiences for purchasing, transferring and reselling tickets.
- Increase operational budget for marketing in order to widen Stony Brook's visibility and reach on a local, regional and national level.
- Analyze all current non-revenue producing sports and investigate potential ticketing options that will create additional revenue streams.

ASPIRATION: Generate a minimum of $1,200,000 annually through corporate partnerships.

ACTIONS:
- Cultivate relationships with local and regional businesses that lead to a more comprehensive level of involvement with Stony Brook Athletics.
- Identify premium inventory, including prominent naming opportunities, scoreboard and stadium signage, and event sponsorship that can be sold to businesses seeking heightened visibility.
- Expand corporate partnership program to include a greater number of national and regional businesses.  

Amplifying the Stony Brook Brand
Athletics serves Stony Brook in many positive ways, but its role as the primary marketing arm for the university is extremely critical. The power of Athletics to extend the university brand on a local, regional and national level will benefit Stony Brook in a myriad of ways. We seek to attract the best and brightest students, exceptional faculty and staff, and enthusiastic supporters and friends who can help push us toward our goal of becoming a top 20 public research institution.

As a brand ambassador, Stony Brook Athletics embraces the responsibility that it has to carry the institutional banner to as many people in as many places as possible. We must establish a clear identity for who the Seawolves are and ensure that those characteristics are embodied in everything that we do to connect with our community and beyond.

ASPIRATION: Build Stony Brook Athletics into a prominent brand on a local, regional and national level.

ACTIONS:
- Develop a comprehensive brand strategy for Stony Brook Athletics that is in alignment with the university's branding initiative.
- Increase television exposure for all athletic programs through conference partners and local broadcast affiliates.
- Work with major media outlets to ensure prominent coverage for Stony Brook athletic teams.
- Identify new opportunities for digital or social media recognition for all Stony Brook athletic teams and special interest stories.
- Schedule road contests that will deliver increased exposure in geographic areas where coaches recruit and Stony Brook has a strong alumni presence.
- Secure new licensing agreements across all retail channels so that consumer availability of high quality Stony Brook apparel and merchandise is prominent.
- Hire an additional full-time marketing position.

ASPIRATION: Become the iconic intercollegiate athletics program on Long Island.

ACTIONS:
- Develop a focused community-based plan directed at establishing stronger connections throughout Long Island.
- Work with Stony Brook Medicine and the Staller Center to co-market Stony Brook as the premier Long Island destination for sports, entertainment and medical services.
- Identify opportunities for the department to showcase Long Island through advertising, social and digital media, facility signage and uniform adornments.

ASPIRATION: Deliver a dynamic, fan-friendly experience for all interactions with Stony Brook Athletics.

ACTIONS:
- Ensure the highest level of customer service for all revenue-generating transactions with a specific focus on ticket sales and philanthropic contributions.
- Work closely with the band and spirit squads to further enhance interactions with fans in our competitive venues and in the community.
- Provide training to all full-time and temporary customer service staff that work Stony Brook Athletics events.
- Implement a proactive online chat feature that includes customer support and interaction with coaches and administrators.

ASPIRATION: Enter into a broadcast agreement with a commercial radio station whose reach extends across the New York metropolitan area.

ACTIONS:
- Meet with prospective radio partners to determine opportunities within the market.
- Determine feasibility and investment required for football and men's and women's basketball games to be broadcast.
- Ensure that broadcasts showcase Stony Brook by promoting campus events and significant achievements.

ASPIRATION: Increase student and alumni engagement in Athletics-related events.

ACTION:
- Enhance the experience at all athletic events and utilize the band and spirit squads to establish new traditions and encourage a deeper sense of pride among students and alumni.
- Establish stronger connections between student-athletes and the student body by identifying opportunities to participate in non-Athletics campus events.
- Partner with the Alumni Association to establish stronger connections with alumni through the Seawolves Coaches Tour, Homecoming and other regional events.

To read Together We Transform in its entirety and learn more about Stony Brook Athletics' new primary fundraising arm of the department Seawolves United, visit SeawolvesUnited.com or call 631-632-6312.