Two-week Faculty and Staff Giving Drive begins Monday

Keith Brant, Vice Chancellor, University Relations (Photo by Carolyn Lagattuta)

Faculty and staff at UC Santa Cruz change the world every day. We do it through our commitment to the ideals of this university and through our work, leadership, humanity, and generosity. For many, that generosity of spirit includes being donors to UC Santa Cruz.

For the two-week period beginning next Monday, May 4, the first Faculty and Staff Giving Drive will be held to encourage all faculty and staff to extend their investment in the university by becoming donors. Many faculty and staff – more than 400 last year – make gifts to UC Santa Cruz throughout the year. This short, focused drive is an effort to increase awareness of the impact of giving and to increase participation.

This campaign was developed in partnership with faculty and staff volunteers and advocates.  Greg Gilbert, professor of environmental studies, and Maria Choy, staff member at Long Marine Lab, are co-chairing this effort. Together, we are building a culture of philanthropy on campus.

Our 50th anniversary year is a special opportunity to celebrate our achievements and invest in our future. When faculty and staff become donors, we send a strong message to others about the value we place on our work. As donors, faculty and staff can also encourage alumni and friends to support their favorite part of UC Santa Cruz.

Gifts of every size are valued. Collectively, our gifts impact  the people and programs we support. All gifts count toward the Campaign for UC Santa Cruz, which supports the mission of the university as it grows in national and international stature. And our new online payroll deduction option makes giving easier than ever.

Our gifts support whatever we designate. Among the many possibilities: undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, the student emergency fund, the UCSC Fund, and the effort to reopen the Quarry Amphitheater.

I hope you will join me in making UC Santa Cruz one of your philanthropic priorities. Thank you to all who already give—you have inspired this effort.