217-239-9777

For whatever reason, they don't leave messages, yet they call repeatedly.  It's the University of Illinois "Giving Foundation."  Basically, they are drumming up donations for the University, which isn't a bad thing.  However, not leaving messages is annoying.  Probably just poorly trained college students.

As a person who knows student callers, I would like to clarify this situation.  These are not poorly trained college students; they are trained for between one and two weeks, then after making practice calls, they go live.  They get better at their job through experience talking with alums and asking for donations.  By not picking up, you are not allowing the students to do their job and ask you to help support your university.  If you do not care about your university, then pick up your phone and say you are not interested.  If you do not want to receive calls from your alma mater, then just say please put me on your do not call list.  This may take one minute, a lot less time than it took for you to write out your posts and the time spent being mad for no good reason.  Who cares about leaving messages?  Then you would complain about them taking up your answering machine with long messages.  No one is "drumming" up anything.  They are doing their jobs and trying to support their university, which you clearly do not give a [***] about.  In fact, I would bet both of you spend a lot of your days bitching and crying about many things, when you should really just get off your [***] and do something about it.  If you don't want the calls anymore, read the above again and stop being an [***] who rants about phone messages and "poorly trained" college students when you really should take a long look in the mirror and stop being a detriment to society.  Both of you need to get a life.

Anonymous seems to be proposing that we all have a duty to answer the phone every time it rings. I completely reject that idea. I have call screening and an answering machine so I don't have to waste my time doing that. It actually is more reasonable to suppose that people who need to get a life, and therefore don't have one now, may be the very ones with a lot of time to spend talking to every caller.  

Any, it's probably just Chief Illiniwek calling, looking for a new job.

OK...that's 30 seconds of my life I'm not going to get back!!!

I've received calls from this number for the last 3 or 4 months. But have received 4 calls within the last week. I haven't answered recently. But got a voicemail once about credit cards. Wish it would stop already...

I was totally with the writer on this. At first. As it got more and more crazy, though, I got off board! Should have stopped after the third sentence. By the end, the writer had made assumptions that were totally unsupported and had gotten really nasty in response. Definitely got into the only response left for you territory: "OK. I'm backing away and smiling now just because I have somewhere else to be, not because you're a freak-show lunatic. If I could just get out of here quickly that would be great; no need for you to reach for a gun or anything..."

Called from the Giving Foundation of the Univ. of IL (assuming it's the alumni association) at 7pm on a Sunday.  Sounded like a student and she was very nice and courteous and didn't hassle me when I couldn't donate this year.  Didn't seem phony or scam-like, but did say this would go to the College of Business; I question if it really goes to that college or if they say that knowing that you graduated from that particular college...

I used to work for the U of I Giving Foundation about 10 years ago when I was still in College.  If the process is still the same...they have a database of everyone who graduates from the university and on certain "calling days" they will target a specific college (business, engineering, education, etc.).  For 4 hours each day, students make a phone call to alumni asking if they can pledge a fixed amount to the college.  If the alumni declines, the caller will ask if they can pledge another amount or if they would prefer if their donation goes to another department for the university.  If the alumni does not answer the phone, the number will go back into a database and is recycled until the Foundation can reach the alumni.  This will continue until you do one of three things: (1) Donate money, in which case, your name will not be called for one year, (2) Tell the caller you are not interested right now and they will call you back in approximately one year; or (3) Ask them to take your name off the list in which they are legally obligated to stop calling you.

As a former employee of the foundation, it is a decent job for a college student and the directors assure us that it is not "telemarketing" since we are not cold calling and each number has a connection to the university.  Whether this is accurate or not, the callers are simply college students trying to earn some money to make their way through school.  I have just returned from work and see that I have 6 missed calls from this number, so I agree, this is a little annoying.  But will do one of the 3 things above when I finally can speak to one of the callers.

Sounds like you are bitter about something!

Caller said it was my "Duty" to donate to the University of Illinois foundation.

One thing guys. I NEVER give money to any unsolicited call. If we all did this, these annoying calls would stop in a week a!r

I used to be a person who made these calls in hopes of gathering donations for a university. My issue was not with them not leaving a message, it was with them calling at 9:15 pm on a Sunday night. Perhaps I'm an old fart, but I was sound asleep and the call woke me, my husband and baby. I would ask for the courtesy of a call earlier in the day.

You've got some nerve writing what you wrote! The caller from my school (not UI) *REFUSED* to put me on their do not call list after I asked. She *REFUSED* to end the conversation when I asked and she only hung up after I screamed at her with everything I had. They are still calling today. While non-profits may call relentlessly by law, the law does not prohibit me from treating them like crap. They don't honor my wishes, I treat them like crap - seems fair enough to me.

I am actually a student caller and we are trained not to leave messages. As annoying as this may sound to you guys, we are just doing this to make a living for ourselves

I think the first guy who replied is one of the psychology departments study subjects.

Lets see, Quinn just raised my income tax to not even pay the university what the state owes them, so no I am not giving you any money.

I paid my tuition to the University of Illinois when I was a student and that's all they'll ever get from me.

I got a call from this number as well, but I have never been a student there.  I have never worked there.  However, I have taken two of my dogs to their very impressive Small Animal Clinic.  Every animal owner is expected to pay their bill in it's entirety before leaving the facility.  I have absolutely no issues with this policy and have very willingly paid them close to a total of $10,000.00.

I don't have issues with them for soliciting for donations.  I do wish they had given me the courtesy of  leaving a message.  I called back, got an answering machine with the option of leaving a message.  I left my message - I don't make donations without knowing what percentage goes to the cause and what percentage goes to hiring someone to make the call.  Send me the details in writing.  End of story and easily taken care of.

They won't quit calling, and they won't add me to the do not call list.  They talk quickly, especially after I tell them I am hearing impaired.  I'm glad I subscribe to a call blocking service.  I give to my alma mater, but less if they waste my time, and more if they respect me.

Stop calling, I am out of the country and this is most annoying!!!!!

Got an offer to purchase real estate in the mail today.  And I never attended the UI and moved away to another state several years ago.
Printed in red ink, but I'm sure it was computer generated.  Offer is from "Brock" with this number as the call back, plus return address on envelop -- PO Box 7167, Champaign, IL 61826.

I have asked to be put on the "Do Not Call" list for the Univ. of Ill Giving Foundation, not once but at least five times.  If they keep disturbing me, waking the grandkids, and ignoring my requests, they will NEVER get a donation.  (And I am a Lifetime Alum.)