Advancement: Brock School of Business

Robert Blakely, Major Gifts
Robert Blakely, Advancement Officer

Wish List

  • New building for the Brock School of Business: $25 million
        • $20 million naming gift
        • $5 million in endowed spaces

The renaming of the Brock School of Business in 2007 set the school on a trajectory that will place it in the top echelon of U.S. business schools, both in terms of endowment and quality of programs.  A 21st Century, state-of-the-art building is needed to support the school’s elevated status in business higher education, to attract the highest level students and professors, to support learning and research, and to support technological needs.

  • General endowment to support operating budget: $20 million

In addition to personnel costs, the Brock School of Business requires an operating budget each year of approximately $1 million to support academic programming, promotion and advertising, alumni activities, travel, research and teaching support, technology support, accreditation, and community activities.

  • 7 endowed professorships at $1.5 million each: $10.5 million
        • Accounting
        • Economics
        • Finance
        • Marketing
        • Operations
        • Strategy
        • Quantitative Methods

Funds to name and establish endowed professorships in each of the critical disciplinary areas of the Brock School of Business (except Entrepreneurship, see below) would enable the school to attract and retain the nation’s top professors, and these new professorships would enable the Brock School to offer expanded and high-quality programs for students.

  • Named Center for Entrepreneurship: $10 million

Our benefactor, Harry B. Brock, Jr., has challenged the school to establish a top-10 program in entrepreneurship.  An endowed Center for Entrepreneurship will provide the academic home for student learning, faculty research, and community engagement required to reach such status among U.S. business schools.  A $500,000 annual operating budget will support student scholarships, student research, faculty teaching and research, community and professional education, and the production of a leading publication to serve the entrepreneurial community.

  • 2 endowed research chairs in entrepreneurship at $3 million each: $6 million
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Social Entrepreneurship

In addition to the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Brock School of Business seeks to establish two (2) endowed chairs in entrepreneurship.  One endowed chair would support traditional entrepreneurship, and the other would support the school’s efforts to serve the non-profit community through social entrepreneurship.  These research chairs would attract and retain world-class professors to support the school’s efforts to establish a leading program in entrepreneurship.

  • Named undergraduate scholarship program: $10 million

Undergraduate scholarships are needed to attract and retain the country’s best business students into our undergraduate programs.  A $10 million endowment would support approximately $500,000 in annual scholarship funds used to recognize academic achievement, meet financial need, and promote the school’s various undergraduate programs.

  • Named graduate scholarship program: $5 million

Graduate scholarships are needed to attract and retain the country’s best business students into our MBA and MAcc programs.  A $5 million endowment would support approximately $250,000 in annual scholarship funds used to recognize academic achievement, meet financial need, and promote the school’s various graduate programs.

  • Named honors program: $5 million

Samford University recently launched its University Fellows program to attract the country’s best students to participate in a unique and academically challenging program.  Many of these students will choose to pursue professional education at the Brock School, which will require a corresponding Brock Scholars program.  This endowment will provide approximately $250,000 annually to support curricular and co-curricular programming for these exemplary business students, support faculty and student research, and provide an international business experience for all Brock Scholars.

  • Named faculty development fund: $5 million

Faculty teaching and research is at the heart of the Brock School’s mission.  Funds are needed to support teaching innovation and continuous learning, and to support faculty scholarship and research.  A $5 million endowment will provide approximately $250,000 in annual funds to support grants, fellowships, research sabbaticals, summer and Jan-term research efforts, and travel support for our faculty.

  • Named dean’s chair: $5 million

This endowment will ensure that the Brock School of Business can attract and retain highly-talented and sought after persons into the dean’s position.  Outside of the naming opportunities for the school and building, this opportunity is perhaps the highest-visibility naming opportunity since all materials with the dean’s name would also bear the benefactor’s name.

  • Flagship named speakers series: $4 million

One of the hallmarks of top business programs is the ability to bring respected and accomplished business leaders to campus to meet with students, faculty, and the business community.  These speakers often require sizable speaking fees and travel support.  A $4 million endowment would provide approximately $200,000 to the Brock School to bring 3-4 world-class business leaders to campus each year.

  • Additional endowment for the Mann Center for Ethics & Leadership: $4 million

A generous gift of $1.5 million from Dr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Mann established the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics & Leadership, a center that will provide leadership not only to the Brock School but also to the entire campus and to the business community.  This initial endowment provided by the Mann family will provide for basic operating expenses for the center and its staff, but additional endowment is needed to create programming, support curriculum development, enable faculty and student research, and  support community engagement.  These new funds may be in the form of fellowships, professorships, scholarships, speaker series, or community initiatives.

  • Named student investment fund: $2 million

In February 2008, the Brock School of Business established the Bulldog Investment Fund, a student-managed fund to complement our newly-established finance major.  The corpus of this fund was seeded with a $400,000 investment by Samford University.  In its first months of operation, the Bulldog Investment Fund has achieved superior performance relative to broad benchmarks, including the S&P 500.  Just as important, the fund has provided a unique and valuable learning experience for its student fund managers.  A naming gift for this fund will catapult it into one of the nation’s largest student-led funds, and also allow for a portion of earnings to be distributed to student scholarships.  A $2.5 million fund could generate an average of $200,000-$250,000 in annual earnings, of which $100,000-$125,000 could be used to fund scholarships.

  • Named Career Development Center (to include Internships): $2 million

Career development and placement is a critical function for our students in the Brock School of Business.  This endowment will support the creation of a new career development center to steward students through important educational and career decisions, and to ultimately find employment with the nation’s top organizations.  Additionally, this center would house the Brock School’s successful Academic Internship Program that places students in valuable internships around the world.  An approximate $100,000 operating budget would greatly support programming and personnel needs.

  • Named executive-in-residence program: $1 million

Applied and practical business education has been a hallmark of the Brock School of Business since it was established in 1965.  The value of having practicing executives on campus and interacting with students and faculty on a regular basis enhances the educational environment of the school.  A $1 million endowment, or approximately $50,000 in annual funding, would support an initiative to invite to campus executives-in-residence who would team teach courses, hold seminars and workshops, interact with the alumni and business communities, and serve as ambassadors for the Brock School within their organizations.

  • Named summer research and teaching fellowships: $10,000 each annually or $200,000 endowment each (3-4 needed): $40,000 annually, or $800,000 endowment

Summers are traditionally used by faculty members to conduct research or to engage in scholarship that enhances teaching.  Most faculty are on 9-month contracts, so the ability to provide funding in the summer for faculty members who are engaged in such activities is very important, and supports the mission of the school.  Such support also helps to attract and retain the best professors.

  • Social Entrepreneurship student fellowships: $2,500 each annually or $50,000 endowment each (2-3 needed): $7,500 annually, or $150,000 endowment

Social entrepreneurship students benefit tremendously from internships in non-profit organizations, many of which cannot financially support the student.  Internship stipends are needed for these students so that their experience is not a burden financially.  These fellowships will greatly enhance the educational value of the social entrepreneurship program and help to attract quality students to the program.

  • Outstanding faculty awards: $10,000 each or $200,000 endowment each (3 needed): $30,000 annually, or $600,000 endowment

Recognition of excellence is an important ingredient in any organization.  The Brock School of Business is blessed with extremely talented faculty members.  Each year, the faculty and dean select three faculty members for recognition as outstanding faculty in the areas of teaching, research, and service.  Currently, each outstanding faculty member receives a $1,000 stipend, but significant investments could be made to raise these awards to the $10,000 level, making these awards among the most coveted by the faculty.  Such recognition helps to attract and retain the best professors.

  • Annual Report: $50,000 annually

The Brock School of Business published its first annual report in 2006-2007.  This publication is a high-quality way to communicate to alumni, donors, and the business community about all of the wonderful developments in the Brock School.  This report costs approximately $50,000 annually to produce, print, and mail to our various constituents.  These funds can be raised through personal or corporate gifts and sponsorships.
  • Business plan competition: $20,000 annually

A survey of the top 10 entrepreneurship programs in the U.S. reveals that all support a significant business plan competition among students.  In such competitions, students prepare written and oral plans for new business ventures.  These events provide great visibility for the program and support winning entries with start-up funds and prize money.  These funds can be raised through personal or corporate gifts and sponsorships.

  • Samford Business Network sponsorships: $3,500 each

Established in 2005, the Samford Business Network, with chapters in Birmingham, Nashville, and Atlanta, has become a dynamic organization that supports alumni and professional development opportunities for the business community.  Additionally, SBN events provide wonderful speakers at various events, and promote the Brock School of Business and Samford University.  Attendance at these events ranges from 150-250 people, making for a wonderful sponsorship opportunity for business organizations.

  • Dean’s Leadership Series sponsorships: $1,000 each

Established in 2007, the Dean’s Leadership Series provides a unique and intimate forum for students, faculty, and business leaders to hear from top executives.  Attendance ranges from 150-350 people, making for a wonderful sponsorship opportunity for business organizations.

  • Annual undergraduate scholarships: $1,000-$5,000 annually (20-25 needed)

In addition to endowed scholarships, annual commitments to fund scholarships provide an important way to support undergraduate students in the Brock School of Business.  Ranging from $1,000-$5,000, these annual scholarships provide needed support to recognize academic achievement, financial need, and outstanding programs.

  • Annual graduate scholarships: $1,000-$5,000 annually (10-15 needed)

In addition to endowed scholarships, annual commitments to fund scholarships provide an important way to support graduate students in the Brock School of Business.  Ranging from $1,000-$5,000, these annual scholarships provide needed support to recognize academic achievement, financial need, and outstanding programs.

  • Co-branded advertisements: $5,000-$10,000 each

In order to promote its programs and recruit students, the Brock School of Business must place advertisements in various media.  The cost of production and distribution of these advertisements can be offset through unique and creative co-branded ads that steward the sponsoring organization and its relationship and support of the Brock School.