But times are changing.

"This university is one of the great public-private partnerships that's built on state funding, students and their families paying tuition, and people making gifts," says Knetter. "And gifts are becoming a bigger and bigger piece of the equation, and that means getting people to think about it early on."

The fundraising campaign in the School of Business first targeted those getting set to graduate from the MBA program. In its first year in 2006, just 33 percent donated. But every year since, at least 95 percent have contributed.

The business school initiative was expanded to include undergrads in 2007, when only 5 percent of graduating seniors gave. But that number jumped to 25 percent the next year and most recently hit the 33 percent mark.

Kaylene Reilly, an assistant director of annual giving with the School of Business, typically enlists a dozen MBA students and 15 undergrads each year to run this campaign. She informs them about the importance of philanthropy and how the school relies on donations to give students a quality education. Those volunteers then take that message to their peers.