University employees have raised $932,000 in donations toward the 2009 Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, a statewide fundraiser for local charities. The 2009 total surpassed the University's initial goal of $675,000, said Jim Fitzgerald, associate director of the University Community Relations Office and chairman of the 2009 campaign. The University's contribution is almost 26 percent of the statewide figure, which is expected to be around $4 million, according to a University press release.
The past year's donations were just less than the record-breaking total of $936,000 donated during the University's 2008 campaign, Fitzgerald said. It is possible that the 2009 campaign's total could surpass that figure as donations continue to trickle in, Fitzgerald said, but he is doubtful that it will.
The 2009 campaign received 3,500 individual gifts, compared to 3,881 in 2008, Fitzgerald said. He attributed the decrease in individual gifts to a decrease in the University's employee pool, which was caused by the University's hiring freeze even as employees continued to leave through attrition. Nevertheless, the average contribution per gift was substantially greater during the 2009 campaign in comparison to the 2008 campaign, he said.
A committee of University leaders set the initial goal of $675,000, which they based on the current economic climate and size of the employee donor base.
Having raised money since 1997, the CVC occurs annually throughout the Commonwealth between mid-October and the end of the year, University CVC Administrator Careen Waterman said.
University employees from all sectors - including staff, faculty and administrators - contribute to the campaign and can contribute to nearly 1,300 different charities, Waterman said. To donate to the campaign, employees pledged a certain amount or organized events such as auctions and bake sales, she said. Every cent of the donations goes directly to the charities, she said.
Overall, Fitzgerald said he was very pleased with the 2009 campaign's numbers.
"There are so many obstacles and reasons for employees to not support [the CVC] and it is easy for them not to, yet they continue to dig deep in support of their favorite charities," he said.
-Jamie Dailey contributed to this article
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