The Campaign for Charities has begun its two-month drive to collect pledges and money for local, state and national charitable organizations.
The motto this year is “Looking forward, giving back.”
The Campaign for Charities, which runs until Dec. 15, is an opportunity for faculty and staff to donate to a variety of charity organizations that are part of the State Charitable Contributions Program, including United Way charities, federated charity organizations and independent organizations. Many of those organizations are engaged in the local community.
Success for the campaign depends on participation from a large section of the university community.
“The motivation for all of us is to unite as a team to help our neighbors in need,” said Charles Davis, honorary campaign chair and dean of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Davis announced this year’s campaign goal of $425,000 at the Campaign for Charities kickoff breakfast Oct. 9 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
UGA employees have received materials about this year’s campaign through campus mail. Faculty and staff can make pledges through payroll deductions or give one-time contributions to individual or multiple charities by filling out the campaign card or by visiting https://webapps.ais.uga.edu/PBCC/home.seam. The campaign materials also include a full list of participating charities; that list is on the website, too.
All UGA employees are encouraged to return a campaign card by campus mail or online. Those cards and donation amounts are anonymous.
For those who participate in this year’s campaign, the university will hold weekly drawings Nov. 3 through Dec. 15 for prizes such as parking credits, golf packages and bookstore credits.
UGA has a proud tradition of hosting successful Campaign for Charities drives.
Donations to the university’s Campaign for Charities have topped $400,000 for eight consecutive years. For 16 years, UGA has won the Governor’s Cup for the highest contribution per employee for a state agency of more than 9,000 employees.
Last year, UGA’s campaign raised $402,298, with a 19 percent participation rate.
UGA President Jere W. Morehead said that as the state’s flagship university, UGA has a special obligation to be a leader in the statewide charitable effort.
He asked faculty and staff to “dig a little deeper” this year to help those in need in the community.
“This campaign is really about people,” said Morehead, who noted that the campaign affects UGA employees’ neighbors and families. “We are a community that thrives on serving others.”