'Give the Difference' during annual faculty/staff campaign

The 2011 "Give the Difference" Faculty and Staff Campaign supports the belief that the future success of the University begins with the commitment of faculty and staff. With that in mind laying the groundwork for a culture of giving across the campus is the focus of the 2011 Faculty and Staff Campaign, which kicked off on March 10 and runs through April 14.

"The immediate challenge is ensuring that UM-Dearborn has the resources it needs to maintain academic excellence," said Tom Baird, vice chancellor for institutional advancement. "A gift - regardless of the size - combined with thousands of others truly does make a difference. It makes it possible for UM-Dearborn to achieve its mission.

The Campaign focuses on encouraging employee participation rather than a specific dollar goal and enables members of the UM-Dearborn community to make gifts that support their personal values and interests. Faculty and Staff members are able to direct their gift to the specific program, scholarship, or department that resonates with them on an individual level.

Employee participation speaks volumes to external sources of funding about the level of commitment of our faculty and staff. "Last year, the participation rate among faculty and staff grew 7% and this year we'd like to continue that growth with a target of at least 20% employee participation," said Kristin McDonough, development coordinator. Many foundations and corporations use faculty and staff giving participation rates as a gauge for their own funding to universities and participation rates also factor into popular campus rankings.

Leading this year's fundraising effort will be co-chairs Richard Moyer, professor of science education and natural sciences; Ellen Judge-Gonzalez, director of the CASL SOAR Program; and Chris Samfilippo, lecturer in the department of management studies. "These three faculty and staff members have certainly demonstrated their commitment to making a difference within their field and on campus," said Cecile Aitchison, assistant vice chancellor of institutional advancement. "They recognize the need to address the critical needs of the University, and their generosity is a great example of the impact that can be made by our faculty and staff members."

The Faculty/Staff Campaign is just one piece of UM-Dearborn's overall Annual Giving program. The Annual Fund reaches out to alumni and community members and encourages them to contribute to UM-Dearborn. This year, the University has seen a great response to the Annual Fund with an increase in both the number of donors and the amount they have given.

There are several ways for faculty and staff to give to UM-Dearborn - Payroll deduction allows a larger gift to be made in smaller increments throughout the year, these can be processed completely online through Wolverine Access; Credit Card payments are also accepted and can be processed at http://www.umd.umich.edu/facultystaffgiving; Gifts can also be made using a Gift Form at http://www.umd.umich.edu/fileadmin/template/ia/files/Development/Fac-Staff-Campaign/Faculty_and_Staff_One-Time_Gift_Form.pdf, or by calling toll-free the Office of Gift Administration help line at 1-888-518-7888, between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Gifts can also be made in person at UM-Dearborn by visiting the Office of Institutional Advancement in the Administration Building, Room 1040. Questions can be emailed to [email protected].

During the official campaign period March 10 through April 14, all new donations and renewals of past gifts will be counted as part of the 2011 "Give the Difference" Faculty Staff Campaign.