A charity campaign that started in 1929 at the University is determined to make a change this year in Champaign-Urbana, throughout the nation and worldwide.
The Campus Charitable Fund Drive, a fund that raises money for charities with different causes, asks current and retired staff and faculty members to pledge each fall to a charitable cause of their choice.
The drive has raised $1,255,000 so far with a goal set at $1.4 million. The goal is to match the donations from last year under a harsher economic climate, said Tary Finefield, drive coordinator.
“With the economic times the way that they are, we didn’t feel right about asking people to give even more of what they were giving, so we kept the goal the same,” Finefield said.
According to Finefield, approximately one-third of the employees tend to give money year in and year out. Last year, 5,915 of the 17,988 faculty members contributed to the fund.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Nick Glumac, vice chair of the drive’s Advisory Board and professor in mechanical science and engineering, said the faculty members have been very supportive of the charitable fund drive.
“We get such a good participation. It shows that there is a tremendous involvement from the community, that we’re very centered on the needs of the community and the needs of those perhaps less fortunate,” Glumac said.
Over half of the donations last year were made to the local organization United Way of Champaign County. United Way is an agency that partners with groups to bring positive change and lasting impact in the communities of Champaign County, according to its website.
Lyn Jones, president and CEO of the local chapter, said many faculty and staff members at the University want to make Champaign-Urbana a better place to live.
“I think many people opt to make gifts to United Way because there is a real interest in building a strong community and having services available to people who are in need, and (it) is certainly one important component of building a strong community,” Jones said.
United Way uses contributions to homeless centers, health care services and after-school programs, such as the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club of Champaign-Urbana.
“We view the University as one of our primary partners. The success of their campaign has a great deal to do with the success with our campaign,” Jones said.
Graduate employees, faculty and staff can register to donate to United Way and other organizations online or in person. However, this specific fund drive is not open to undergraduates since it only involves state of Illinois employees.
“We’re excellent givers. The fact that we’ve been so successful in the past, it shows a lot about University faculty and staff as a whole,” Glumac said.
