Faculty and staff members display their Giving Green spirit throughout the year, but the fall fundraising campaign is a chance to demonstrate the collective power of UNC Charlotte’s employees and their philanthropy, said Kim Buch, professor of psychology and one of this year’s Giving Green Campaign co-chairs.
“Having a high percentage of enthusiastic faculty and staff donors, at any amount that they feel comfortable in contributing, sends a powerful message. It signifies our pride in the University and shows that we support the greater community,” Buch stated, during the annual Giving Green kickoff luncheon, held Thursday, Sept. 22, in the Student Union.
The Giving Green Campaign is UNC Charlotte’s unified, centralized, campus-wide effort to solicit financial support for the Arts & Science Council (ASC), the nearly 1,000 charities approved for inclusion in the State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC) and the UNC Charlotte Foundation.
The ASC has led the growth of arts and culture in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area for more than 50 years; the organization’s work enhances the quality of life for residents, attracts businesses and fuels economic development. A number of UNC Charlotte faculty have benefited from ASC grants.
The SECC offers all state workers and retirees the opportunity to direct contributions to charitable organizations through a uniform process. Faculty and staff can elect to make contributions through payroll deductions. Nonprofit organizations must apply each year and have their documentation approved by a state advisory committee to be included in the campaign.
The UNC Charlotte Foundation advances the University as North Carolina’s urban research university through active engagement, advocacy, fundraising and stewardship.
“Donations can be one-time gifts. But, most University employees choose to give through payroll deduction – because that’s an easy and convenient way to make a ‘bigger’ impact; the gift gets divided up into smaller amounts, and it’s easier to budget for,” said Buch. “While we don’t set a dollar amount as a campaign goal – we do aspire to grow our number of employee donors, and we have a terrific team of Giving Green champions to help us at the division and unit level. These wonderful volunteers will share news about the campaign with their colleagues, and they may talk about why they Give Green, too.”
2016 Giving Green co-chair Jeff Baker, chief of the Police and Public Safety Department, also encouraged faculty and staff members to participate.
Given that this year’s kickoff was part of Founders Celebration, Baker recalled Bonnie Cone’s favorite quote: "I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the Grace of God, I will do.”
He added, “Let’s consider how grander it would be if the ‘I’ was ‘we.’ While all of us together still couldn’t do everything – consider what could happen if we all did something. It would be exponential.”
This year’s Giving Green champions are: Lyndon Abrams, College of Education; Susan Bunton and Carol Hartley, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; Scott Byrd, athletics; Helena Connors and Lloyd Tiamfook; business affairs; Denelle Eads, Atkins Library; Carla Hines and Kristan Holzman, student affairs; Tamara Johnson and Chip Yensan, academic affairs; Sandy Krause, College of Computing and Informatics; Jenny Matz, University advancement; Alicia Morris, College of Health and Human Services; Lee Perkins, Belk College of Business; Mary Ellen Shuntich, Graduate School; Ron Smelser, Lee College of Engineering; and Melanie White, Chancellor’s Office.
Click here to learn more about the Giving Green Campaign or to make a gift. All employee gifts made during the Giving Green kickoff through the conclusion of #NinerNationGives at 11:59 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23, will be eligible for various raffle prizes.