Purdue's United Way campaign kicks off today
September 11, 2014
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The Purdue United Way Campaign chair committee, from left: Olivia Wood, vice president of Purdue University Retirees Association (PURA); Leah Jamieson, campaign chair; Anne Parks, campaign director; Julie Griffith, campaign vice chair; and John Sullivan, campaign advocate. Not pictured: Dan Collins, PURA president, and Carla Zoltowski, campaign advocate. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons) |
Purdue's 2014 United Way campaign begins today (Sept. 11) with the goal of raising $755,000 for local human services agencies.
Called "Success Starts Here: Live United," the Purdue campaign begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Printing Services Facility. There, area chairs and captains can pick up pledge cards and posters for the campaign, which ends Nov. 19.
The Purdue campaign's goal is about 15 percent of the United Way of Greater Lafayette Campaign's goal, which is $5 million. The theme of the Greater Lafayette campaign is education.
"We are highlighting United Way's work to assure that all children have better access to early childhood education, including tackling the challenges of poverty, health, food and safety that can hold children back," says Leah Jamieson, chair of the 2014 Purdue United Way Campaign and the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering.
"Needs in our community continue to grow and are outpacing the ability of the 23 United Way participating organizations and related programs such as Kindergarten Countdown Camp and Read to Succeed to meet those needs. Education is a theme that is a great match for Purdue, so I hope it will resonate with our faculty, staff and students."
The Purdue campaign's vice chair is Julie Griffith, vice president for public affairs.
Senior chairs soon will distribute pledge cards to employees in all West Lafayette campus areas. Cards can be returned to the team captain in their department or sent in campus mail directly to Purdue United Way Gift Processing at Dauch Alumni Center (DAUC) in the envelope provided.
Donations also may be made via credit card or PayPal by visiting www.uwlafayette.org/givenow-purdue.html.
Donations will benefit 23 United Way participating organizations that serve Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County and many surrounding counties. Those donating can specify which counties or United Way program or organizations they would like their gifts to benefit.
The goal of Purdue's United Way campaign is to ensure that all employees have the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether and how much to give to United Way. Giving is voluntary and confidential. Purdue United Way trains volunteers in the fashion of the non-coercion policy set by United Way of Greater Lafayette.
Faculty and staff should note several incentives for new or increased donations:
* The new "Casual Day for United Way" incentives gives faculty and staff the chance to dress casually on 10 special days during the campaign if they make a $5 donation separately from their annual pledge. Each area's United Way representative will handle the process of collecting these donations and issuing a "Casual Day for United Way" sticker, which may be worn with casual attire on the 10 casual days. More information is here.
* For every new or increased gift of $100 or more, the Eli Lilly Endowment and the Indiana Association of United Ways will give a dollar-for-dollar matching gift.
* Purdue Convocations will offer half-price tickets to "Academy of St. Martin in the Fields," a classical music concert that will take place in March, for increased gifts of $20 or more. This promotion is available on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 500 who qualify.
* New Vanguard donors will receive a free founder-level membership in Friends of Convocations. This is a $500 value.
This year, the Purdue campaign also includes a social media component. It involves a contest called "Where's Jamie?," which involves finding a hidden cardboard cutout of the stick figure from this video about the Greater Lafayette campaign. The cutout will be hidden in various places on campus each week throughout the campaign.
On Mondays, Purdue Today -- along with the Twitter accounts @PurdueToday and @LifeAtPurdue -- will publish a clue about the cutout's location that week. People on campus who find the cutout can take a "selfie" photo of themselves with it and bring it to the front desk of Dauch Alumni Center and receive a special prize. Those who do not have a smartphone can take the cutout to Dauch, where an employee will take their photo before giving the prize.
With the prize recipient's permission, Purdue staff will post the photos on social media accounts to promote the Purdue United Way Campaign. All United Way-related social media posts will carry the hashtag #PurdueUW.
For more information
* Purdue United Way office: 49-49240 or www.purdue.edu/unitedway
*Purdue's 2014 campaign advocates, formerly called loaned campaign representatives, are John Sullivan, professor of aeronautics and astronautics and director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, and Carla Zoltowski, co-director of Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS). To schedule a United Way presentation, call 742-9077, ext. 221, or fill out the online form at www.uwlafayette.org/Schedule_An_LCR.html.
