The University of Hawaii athletic department is looking for ways to make its official fundraising arm, ‘Ahahui Koa Anuenue, more productive in the wake of lagging revenues.

Athletic director David Matlin told the Board of Regents UH realized $4,502,013 in contributions last year, $1,532,860 below peer institutions.

Contributions was among key areas cited in a financial improvement plan presented to regents where the athletic department said UH “does not compare favorably” with schools it competes against.

As a result, Matlin said the department, “will look at the present model and either tweak it or re-do it. That is definitely on the table. We continue to look at fundraising for athletics as a solid opportunity for improvement.”

The review comes two and a half years after regents approved a memo of understanding that allowed AKA to achieve its goal of becoming a free-standing non-profit organization apart from the UH Foundation.

The MOU specifically permitted AKA to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities such as concerts, shows and events to broaden its fundraising role beyond overseeing premium ticket packages and parking that had been the main charge since its 1967 inception.

In the process AKA, which had been largely a two-person operation for many years, has expanded to a staff of six.

Matlin said, “I think some expenses went up because the foundation was covering some of those (personnel) expenses before.”

President Jon Kobayashi said AKA brought in $500,000 more than previously and has, “been trying to get inventive on the use of facilities on the lower campus and it has met with some success. It has gone from zero to about $160,000.”

Kobayashi said, “I think that between AKA, the athletic department, the booster clubs and the foundation there are a lot of great resources that, I think, would benefit from greater collaboration, greater communication. I do think that we need to take a look at the viability and improvement and we have had discussion on this.”

Matlin said, “I think you always have to look at the structure first. Does the structure put you in a position where you can be successful? And I think there are some questions about the current structure.”