Vol. 19, No. 29

May 4, 2000

Annual Giving campaign for employees begins this month

The University of Delaware places special value on contributions from its employees, who make up an increasingly important segment of donors in the Annual Giving campaign. The month of May marks the beginning of a special effort to increase that level of participation. University faculty and staff will receive information about the annual employee campaign through a mailing this month. The mailing will include a brochure featuring representative donors drawn from the faculty and staff and a gift card that can be filled out and returned to the Office of Annual Giving via campus mail. In 1998-99, a total of 748 employees donated more than $300,000 to support UD programs as part of the Employee Campaign. That means about one in every five employees wrote a check, used a credit card or took advantage of the payroll deduction plan to assist the institution. More than 100 of those employee donors also gave of their valuable time to promote the philanthropic spirit among coworkers by braving chilly weather the afternoon of Dec. 2, 1999, to pose on the south steps of Memorial Hall for a photograph that appeared on the cover of the annual Report of Private Support. As of April 15, 2000, a total of 367 employees had donated nearly $200,000 to the University this fiscal year. "The employee gifts amount to a large sum of money, and these gifts help advance the purposes and the programs of the University," President David P. Roselle said. Roselle added that employee giving has a significant impact on overall giving to the University. "The fact that so many employees are donors represents a confidence in and a love for the University that is influential with other donors and prospective donors, as they consider whether to support the University and the amount of their support," he said. "We are very pleased and grateful that so many of our colleagues provide support for the University," Roselle added. "Gifts from employees have an extraordinary place in the life of the University," Vice President Robert R. Davis, development and alumni relations, added. "They help lift the University to new levels of excellence, providing funds for scholarships and professorships, for leading-edge technology, for exciting educational opportunities and for modern facilities." "Such gifts tell much about the people who work at the University of Delaware," Davis said. "UD employees have shown themselves to have a generous spirit, and to appreciate the merits of higher education. In addition, they have shown that they have a keen understanding of the ongoing needs of the institution and that they are committed to meeting those needs." For more information, call the Office of University Development at 831-2104.