Eastern Michigan's Faculty and Staff Giving Program grows
big, general funds like the EMU Excellence Fund and the
Partnership for Excellence fund. But it also bolsters the
accounts of scholarships established in memory of colleagues,
and resources like WEMU.
The 2009 Faculty and Staff Giving appeal raised $890,708
from 1,054 donors. And, for 1,054 people, that meant making
a distinctly personal choice.
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THE FIRST DOLLAR: Eastern Michigan University
President Susan Martin holds up a dollar
bill to
signify the start of the EMU Excellence
Fund. The
fund, which started with a $10,000 pledge
from
Martin, has grown to more than $78,000 during
fiscal 2009. The new account helped the EMU
Foundation's
Faculty and Staff Giving Program
raise more than
$890,000 this past campaign.
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"In general, Eastern is a personal place and I think a
lot of people give to things they feel connected to," said
Anne McKee, assistant director for admissions communications
and a longtime donor to campus causes that are close to
her heart. "I do think it's important, and I do think it
helps people feel invested in the University."
Faculty, staff and emeritus faculty can contribute to
more than 700 accounts across the University, supporting
just about anything going on at EMU — academic initiatives,
special projects, cultural activities, scholarships and
athletics. If it takes money to run, there's probably a
fund for it. If there isn't, the Foundation would be happy
to talk about setting one up.
"Giving is very well spread out across the university," said
Susan Rink, central staff senior director of development. "Usually,
folks give to the area they're most familiar with."
In fiscal 2008, the drive brought in a record $1.65 million,
but included a single estate gift that accounted for about
half the total raised. This fiscal year, despite the weak
economy, donors upheld what's become a tradition of giving.
"Year over year, we've kind of held our own," Rink said. "That
speaks to how our faculty and staff here feel about EMU.
It's a family type of environment and a place they want
to make sure succeeds."
For the second straight year, the Foundation conducted
its Faculty and Staff giving campaign via the Internet,
a strategy that saves money over conducting a paper-based
drive and contributed to a 6-percent increase in giving
in its first year.
The 2009 campaign includes several new accounts, including
the EMU Excellence Fund, which was initiated by EMU President
Susan Martin last summer. The fund, which started with
a $10,000 pledge from Martin, will help fund academic initiatives
and student priorities,
Others have followed suit. During the 2009 fiscal year,
the account grew by $78,121.
"I guess it's partly the enthusiasm of new leadership
and new ideas," said Holly Smith, an executive secretary
in the president's office. "I tend to give a fair amount
to the University one way or another, whether it's the
faculty and staff campaign or to WEMU pledge drives. I
can't give huge amounts, but I give what I can when I think
it's going to a good cause. Even though I didn't
know exactly what they were going to do with it at the
time, I trust that it'll go to something worthwhile that
will benefit the students."
