A record-breaking 54 percent of Drexel University’s faculty and professional staff contributed a total of $737,676 to the 2011 “Why I Give” fundraising campaign led by the Drexel Annual Fund team and the Office of Institutional Advancement, according to a University press release issued June 27.
The fundraising, which ran from March 2 to June 30, will be used to benefit the University. The press release stated, “In addition to scholarship support, the gifts will be used to enhance programs and initiatives throughout the university.”
Additionally, the 1,633 people who donated had the option to designate how they wanted their gift to be used. The examples listed on the website for the Office of Institutional Advancement include scholarship support; graduate fellowships; the Papadakis Endowed Scholars Fund; the Academic Strategic Initiatives Fund; or a selected school, college or department.
Several departments achieved 100 percent participation, including Drexel Athletics, the Center for Graduate Studies, Facilities Management, Human Resources, Institutional Advancement, Institutional Research, Office of the General Counsel, Office of the Provost, University Communications and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
“The 100 percent participation means everyone in the department gave. … For instance, in institutional advancement, at the time at the end of the fiscal we had 107 people, and all 107 of us gave to the campaign,” Sylvia Purnell Muldrow, director of the Annual Fund, explained.
In terms of the percentage of giving among departments, the runners-up were the Comptroller’s Office and Enrollment Management, both with 97 percent participation.
The School of Public Health had the highest participation among the colleges and schools at Drexel. The College of Information Sciences and Technology and University Communications were the two top departments whose participation rate increased by more than 50 percent.
The participants could contribute through a payroll deduction or online, as well as by phone or mail.
Faculty and staff donated for both personal and professional reasons.
“My gift is an indication of my support for the educational mission of Drexel University and of my wish that Drexel continues to grow and improve,” Michael Kennedy, professor and chair of the Department of Health Science and Health Administration in the School of Public Health, said.
Lindsay Liss, a customer service coordinator for recruitment in Enrollment Management, noted her family ties with Drexel in explaining why she donated.
“I give because I want to honor all of those who have given to me,” Liss said. “I also give because I believe in Drexel as an academic institution. My father is an alumnus, my sister a student and I am a proud employee.”
Due to the overwhelming response, the campaign, which began in March, was extended through June 2011 instead of ending on May 2 as originally planned.
“People were still sending in gifts, so the president, along with our senior management, wanted us to extend it to keep giving people the opportunity to do so,” Purnell Muldrow explained.
The 2010 participation rate for the “Why I Give” campaign was 53 percent.