Campaign to Close Today

To the Champlain Community:

Chauncey and I have some good news and some not-so-good news to report about the Champlain College United Way Campaign.

First, we have raised $28,715 and we have about 40 percent of the 350 employees participating. That’s an average gift of $205. That’s the good news and we deeply thank those who have already given so generously. The not-so-good news is that our goal is $35,000 with 53 percent participation.

We’ve tried many ways of getting the word out, plenty of email reminders and even puppy pictures, but we are still considerably off the mark on meeting our goal this year. Anyone who has ever asked for money knows it can be awkward and a little uncomfortable, but you do it anyway for a good cause you believe in. However, when a fundraising effort struggles in the final stretch to meet its goal, it is hard to pinpoint the reason.

Here’s a few reasons Chauncey and I have come up with:

1. People are busy and just haven’t taken action on their good intentions. The pledge card is sitting under a pile of papers on their desk.

2. People are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe it is the economy making things tight all around and many people can’t quite give at their previous level. Or perhaps they can’t give at all.

3. People are already giving to specific causes. Vermonters were extremely generous in contributing to help those hit by flooding in the spring and tropical storm Irene in August. There are hundreds of organizations and causes asking for help, especially this time of year.

4. Some of Champlain’s longtime givers to United Way have recently retired or moved on to other opportunities.

5. Perhaps Chauncey and I haven’t done a great job in educating people about the many needs in our community and how a gift to United Way has a multiplier effect expanding giving through careful management and oversight of programs receiving funding. We have already vowed to do it better next year and are crafting some new strategies and ways to say thanks to those who give.

Lots of possible reasons, but we both agreed it is not that Champlainers don’t care. We see Champlain’s generous nature every day – The Staff Council set a new blood drive record a couple weeks ago and programs like DREAM and other community outreach programs earn support from staff, faculty and students alike. Campus food drives, students helping to rebuild flood-damaged homes and efforts like CSCE’s Tent City next week reinforce the College’s core values of encouraging community service and civic engagement.

So the Campaign will officially come to a close on Friday, Nov. 11. And we will probably not meet the goal this year. That’s an unusual occurrence at Champlain. My experience is if we say we are going to do something, we do it. We did it last year and beat the goal.

If you have been meaning to give, either through payroll deduction which begins in January or with a one-time tax deductible gift, now would be the time to take action. There is $6,285 left to raise – 62 people giving $100 each could do it or 124 people giving $50 or… well, you get the idea.

If you have already given, but would like to help close the gap with an additional gift, we would be most grateful.

Nothing would please Chauncey and I more than being able to report back to you that a surprise last-minute surge of giving brought us to the goal.

A downloadable pledge card is available at http://champlainunitedway.blogspot.com/. You can drop it off with Steve Mease at Lakeside or with Julie Richards at Perry 322.

Making a pledge could mean all the difference to families, children and others who need the services and help provided through the United Way programs. As the slogan says, “Give. Advocate. Volunteer. Live United” Today, the emphasis is on the “Give.”

Thank you for your kind attention and support!

NOTE: The winner of the campus parking pass is Peter Straube. The remainder of the incentive prizes will be drawn and announced Friday afternoon.