'Not FAMU's best day': After donation debacle, a vote of confidence

Florida A&M University President Larry Robinson is receiving a strong show of support after a fumbled fundraising effort to secure a $237 million donation led to national embarrassment.

He received a vote of confidence at the FAMU Foundation Board's general meeting on May 31 during the National Alumni Association Conference in Tampa, based on a recording of the meeting obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat. The meeting included a deep dive into the university's fundraising efforts to date – which by last year were the highest in more than a decade. It also saw repeated calls for Rattlers to stand in a united front.

"I'm coming from a place of wanting to make sure our university is okay," FAMU Foundation board member Gregory Clark said at the end of the meeting. He turned his gaze to Robinson and said, "Dr. Robinson, as I told you before, stay the course, sir."

Clark empathized with Robinson's role as president, adding "being on top, you're on an island by yourself if you've ever been in leadership."

"Never can get it right. You get little praise," he said. "But, at the end of the day, I know where your heart is ... I know this board supports you."

With that, Robinson received a standing ovation from the board that was followed by a nearly unanimous vote of confidence by board members, with the exception of one abstention.

How President Robinson landed on the hot seat

It was quite the turnabout after Robinson was sitting in the hot seat a few weeks ago when several members of the FAMU Foundation and the Board of Trustees aired deep concerns over the handling of the gift, a lack of communication with them and the university's fractured reputation.

In a matter of days, swift backlash followed FAMU's historic $237 million donation from little-known, Texas-based hemp farmer Gregory Gerami during the May 4 spring graduation ceremony. Troubling information about Gerami's background surfaced amid mounting questions about whether he could provide FAMU with its largest donation.

After assuring board members, trustees and the public that due diligence had been done, FAMU walked back its embrace of the donation and put it on pause before "ceasing" the gift entirely.

Robinson, addressing the FAMU Board of Trustees in May, said the announcement was premature. The university deleted all posts post mentioning Gerami, with the exception of one since it also mentioned other commencement speakers.

While Gerami proclaimed "the money is in the bank" during his keynote speech, sparking thunderous applause and jubilation, there was no money in the bank then or now. Instead, the gift came in the form of company stocks through Gerami's Batterson Farms Corp that had not yet gone through all necessary channels for valuation.

Gerami — as a family representative of the Issac Batterson Family 7th Trust that gave the gift — is now central to a third-party investigation underway to determine what's real and whether FAMU, which signed a non-disclosure agreement with Gerami, was fooled by a serial, philanthropic poser who's made failed attempts to give big checks to other universities.

Within weeks of the announcement, both the FAMU Board of Trustees and FAMU Foundation held emergency and special meetings to discuss the validity of the historic gift, missteps in communication, restoring public trust and a need for an independent investigation on whether the $237 million gift is worth anything at all.

FAMU Board of Trustees Chair Kristin Harper: 'The world is watching.'

During the foundation meeting, board members sought to get their messaging straight at the same time that they focused on the mission of boosting the university.

"As President Robinson said, the world is watching," said Board of Trustee Chairwoman Kristin Harper, while praising staffers with the FAMU Foundation on their work to advance the university.

Those four words — the world is watching — were said several times and show what is at stake for the nation's top public HBCU or historically Black college and university.

Harper said incoming freshman at FAMU had an average 4.02 grade point average, adding it's "climbing every year."

"These are highly sought-after students. These students can literally go anywhere," Harper said. "So with that comes an even greater burden and opportunity to provide competitive packages and scholarships to attract them to Florida A&M University."

She also added FAMU had the highest percentage in the state of students who receive Pell grants given to households with an annual income of $50,000 or less, adding "it's important that we lift as we climb."

'Must stand together as one FAMU'

Yet, FAMU is trekking its own uphill battle.

As a whole, board members were careful not to unleash too much negativity regarding the cringe-worthy developments surrounding the donation, which were made public by news coverage.

Gerami's co-CEO told the Tallahassee Democrat she never even worked for his company. Furthermore, according to emails obtained in a public records request, financial firm Raymond James warned FAMU months before the graduation announcement that Gerami's valuation of his stock may not be accurate.

There was some acknowledgement of the elephant in the room, though.

"The last couple of weeks have been challenging regarding the current situation that we are working through," said FAMU Foundation Vice Chair Kenneth Neighbors, reading a statement on behalf of Foundation Chairwoman Lisa R. LaBoo, who wasn't at the meeting. "However, one of my favorite phrases is, 'This, too, shall pass.'"

"During challenging times we learned from the situation and come out stronger on the end," Neighbors continued. "We must stand together as one FAMU to continue to support our institution, and all the students that are relying on the financial support of the foundation."

Trustees acknowledged a "reignited culture of giving" at FAMU in recent years and gave credit to Shawnta Friday-Stroud, who abruptly resigned from her post as vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation amid the donation controversy.

"While we are in great hands, we also need to pay homage to those that brought us here, " said Deveron Gibbons, vice chair of the FAMU Board of Trustees, followed by applause.

After a 'fiasco,' here is what FAMU is telling would-be donors

But the donation "fiasco," as it was called by trustee John Crossman at a development committee meeting, still loomed large.

One committee member said she was being "bombarded everywhere I go" by questions about the donation. The board turned to a fundraising expert for pointers on managing FAMU's messaging and crisis communications.

Anne Botteri, a marketing consultant and communications strategist, said she's worked with FAMU for two years, mostly with its communications. She previously was the associate vice president for advancement communications at the University of Central Florida Foundation and helped draft messaging in advance of launching the university's $500 million dollar campaign.

Botteri offered a three-pronged approach toward fueling FAMU's fundraising efforts: annual gifts, major gifts and planned gifts.

"That is the secret sauce to excellence," said Botteri, adding for FAMU a major gift is defined as $25,000 or more. "A major gift could be a multi-year commitment."

She went on to say generosity creates opportunity and, that said, gave a playbook on how the university should address Gerami's controversial donation to FAMU.

Here's what Botteri said:

"It happened. It was not FAMU's best day. There's been considerable consternation and speculation from both inside and outside the university. The university administration and trustees were on it quickly. They owned the errors that they could within the confines of the law and donor confidentiality.

You need to know that legal requirements sometimes prohibit universities from speaking as quickly as the public does. We get that it frustrates people, and frustrated people talk a lot on social media. That doesn't mean the university can talk a lot.

Since then, meetings have been held. Reviews are ongoing. We have communicated with donors. Staying focused on it right now is absolutely counterproductive. It's not helping this university in any way, shape or form ... We'll have more to say when there is more to say. So, let's help FAMU get to the day when there isn't really a reason to hit the pause on a gift of $237 million dollars.

Be assured that the president, the trustees and the Foundation Board are firmly committed to a resolution of the matter."

Robinson: 'We are still receiving gifts'

Before the meeting's end, Robinson made a point to let board members know FAMU's ability to fundraise hasn't been compromised.

At the meeting, a staffer indicated FAMU is closing in on a $2.2 million donation from Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company. In addition, the university was contacted by Greyhouse Financial Corporation about its interest in establishing an entrepreneur technology grant and technology center totaling $750,000 and a future $2.2 million that would support the technology center.

"I just want you all to know that we are still receiving gifts," Robinson told board members. "I think it shows the confidence that our external partners still have in the university as well."

Overall, FAMU raised more than $22.8 million in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, representing 114% of the president's $20 million goal set by the Board of Trustees and 91% of the university's stretch goal of $25 million.

The FAMU Foundation Board goal is based on a calendar year and stood at $541,347 so far this year as of the meeting's report, representing 54% of the foundation's $1 million goal. The number represented 22 out of 31 board members who have made donations toward the foundation's effort, which represents both individual donations, company donations and solicitated donations.

The 2022-2023 fiscal year was FAMU's best fundraising year since 2012. Last year, the university raised more than $25 million.

Foundation board members encouraged each other to think ahead regarding what's best for FAMU, even with the looming donation investigation.

"As we depart, let us remember our why, as the Board members, as a collective board and as individual board members," said Monica Williams Harris. "I enjoy serving. I'm serving for my niece. I'm serving for the students that are currently there. I'm serving for my 9 year-old son, who has told everybody that he is going to Florida A&M. And, the only way that happens is if Florida A&M is around."

Contact Economic Development Reporter TaMaryn Waters at [email protected] and follow @TaMarynWaters on X.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU donation debacle: President gets vote of confidence