Alumni as Builders, Not Donors

Omar Garriott raised the question without quite naming it: a school can be world-class at raising money and still misread what its alumni want from it.

Jun 25, 2026

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Darden has raised more than $600 million in its most recent campaign. Omar Garriott, who runs the school’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology, said on Speaking Engagement that the school still gets a familiar complaint: alumni often feel they are approached transactionally, as donors. Those two facts seem like they should cancel each other out. They don’t.

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A guest post by

Dave Hail

I write about fundraising, storytelling, and the systems behind meaningful work. I help organizations build stronger donor relationships and more effective engagement. Clarity first. Everything else follows.