Employees campaign makes a difference in the community

As chair, I am honored to serve as a leader for this signature initiative. The campaign is a tangible way that UB, as a community, expresses our engagement with and service to our region. It is our privilege and duty to give back to the communities where we live and work. I believe all of us at UB have some connection to the charitable agencies supported by the campaign, and I am so grateful to join my UB colleagues in these efforts.

Every chair brings a different background, skill set and perspective to this leadership role. As dean of undergraduate education, and a longtime UB faculty member, I hope to make a connection between the organizations served by the campaign, and UB’s educational and research mission. UB faculty, staff and students already make an impact on our community. Through the comprehensive research conducted by our faculty and students, along with the thousands of hours of service and educational activities that take place on and off campus, we make positive contributions every day. Financially supporting the campaign adds another critical component to our UB community’s role in meeting the needs in our region.

It has been amazing to learn just how much institutional knowledge and passion exists around our annual Campaign for the Community. I knew that this initiative was an important part of our collective identity. However, I wasn’t aware of how pervasive the spirit of the campaign is, regardless of which decanal unit, department or office you visit. This is truly an initiative that every member of campus can participate in — by making a donation and/or participating in a special event.

Vice President Hamluk and I are both appreciative of the opportunity to visit FeedMore WNY’s facility, and to learn more about their programs and operations, as well as the clients they serve across the region. It was sobering to learn about the extensive needs in our community, yet we also learned about the many innovative ways that FeedMore is meeting those needs.

We should all be proud of UB’s longstanding and successful employees’ campaign. In terms of employee giving, UB’s campaign is among the top university campaigns nationwide, and we have the largest State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA) campaign in New York State.

There are many special events taking place throughout campus. For example, Campus Dining and Shops recently held their annual pie sale. Individual units and schools are organizing their own exciting and unique events. In our area (the Provost’s Office), we conducted a daylong 50/50 raffle and continue to offer weekly prize raffles that generate new excitement each week.

Our specific partnership with SEFA and the United Way promotes awareness and fundraising support for countless organizations that do not have the capacity to do so on the scale that the United Way is able to offer. Additionally, the administrative costs associated with donations specifically through this campaign are well below national average and benchmarks, making contributions through this initiative quite effective. Finally, this campaign is a way for all of us at UB to work together, make a difference in our community and showcase our True Blue spirit.

The first and most effective way is to join us in donating today. We also need help with spreading the word, so please support your departmental liaisons as they work to inform colleagues throughout the university. Additionally, if your unit is hosting a special fundraiser, we encourage you to participate as you are able. Our Steering Committee has worked very hard to put together some exciting opportunities. If there are any particular organizations that a group is interested in learning about, the campaign team is able to help coordinate bringing in guest speakers, as well.