The goal? To surpass last year’s record-setting 60 percent participation by Elon employees.
This year, returning campaign co-chair Rhonda Belton and new co-chair Paul Miller plan to build on the momentum from 2010-2011, when employees contributed $313,000 to the university, including $150,000 to support scholarships. To date, more than 55 percent of employees have participated in the campaign, contributing more than $322,000 in gifts and pledges. The goal for this year’s campaign is 65 percent.
“I believe in what we have going on here at Elon” Miller says. “I have witnessed over the years the impact of faculty and staff giving. We help to support civic engagement, international experiences, internships, undergraduate research, student scholarships, and faculty and staff development programs.”
The impact of faculty and staff giving is not lost on the nearly 50 volunteer captains from departments across campus who help spread the word about the importance of the campaign. Kelly Reimer ‘00, assistant director of teaching and learning technologies, is among the handful of faculty and staff serving as captains again this year.
“I chose to serve as a captain for the second year in a row because I have seen the impact that a personal touch makes in raising financial support for the university,” Reimer says. “When we provide financial support to the university, we are able to see the impact of those gifts immediately. Every gift, no matter what size, makes a difference.”
Belton and Miller say more faculty and staff are choosing to make their gifts through payroll deduction, and most choose to designate their gifts to specific programs or departments. All faculty and staff donors have one common motivation—to support Elon students.
Marsha Boone, executive assistant to the vice president of admissions and financial planning, has been a loyal Elon donor for 30 years.
“I feel like I am giving a student the same opportunity that my daughter received when she was here at Elon,” Boone says of her daughter, LaKeisha Baldwin ‘06. “My donations give students the chance to come to Elon.”
The Faculty/Staff Campaign began June 1 and runs until May 31, 2012. Click on the links to the right to make a gift and visit the Faculty/Staff Campaign website, which includes a list of departmental captains and the electronic payroll deduction form.
Thank you for supporting Elon!
By Jeremy Allen ’07