The mission of the UT Telefund Program is to contact UT alumni of all campuses to raise private dollars for campus and collegiate support, update demographic and biographic data for the central alumni data warehouse and provide a personal means of contact between alumni and their alma mater. Since the program’s beginning in 1985, more than $7.7 million has been pledged from UT alumni and friends in support of the university.

The UT Telefund Program is implemented by the UT System Office of Alumni Affairs in Knoxville, which saves each campus the expense of maintaining a call center and staff. Approximately 70 students from all majors are employed each semester at the Telefund. Callers are trained and prepared to address questions and inquiries from all alumni regardless of the campus of graduation.

The UT Martin campus benefits from the Telefund Program. Even though the calls are made from Knoxville, pledges and gifts through the Telefund Program can be directed to any campus, college or specific program according to the donor’s preference. This ensures that each donor can help his or her own campus, college or major program. In the past five years alone, student callers have raised more than $163,500 from UT Martin alumni.

The Telefund Program staff works closely with the UT Martin campus staff to ensure that questions or concerns recorded by the student callers are addressed. In addition, the UT Martin Office of Alumni Relations has provided a pre-shift pizza party for “Martin Kickoff Night” for the past several years. Last November, Chancellor Tom Rakes and several other UT Martin staff came to the Telefund Center to meet and thank the callers for their efforts.

If you receive a call from a UT Telefund student, please take the time to talk with him or her and let them know you appreciate their hard work on behalf of the university and the UT Martin campus.