Campaign Update - September 20, 2011

Faculty/Staff Giving Increases 75% During 'EI&U: The Campaign for Eastern'

Eastern Illinois University's "EI&U: The Campaign for Eastern" fundraising effort has been successful due to an influx of support from many people, including the university's own faculty and staff.

The percentage of employees who donated to EIU in the past fiscal year increased 75 percent from the previous year, and 17 departments and offices had 100 percent participation, said Michelle Payne, director of EIU's Annual Fund.

Donations were received from 35 percent of EIU's work force, up from 20 percent the previous year.

"Our goal in getting the faculty and staff more involved in the campaign was not focused on dollar amounts, but rather on simply increasing participation," said Bob Martin, vice president for university advancement.

"Our faculty and staff go above and beyond every day, and it's wonderful to see so many go a step further by investing their own hard-earned funds in the future of Eastern Illinois University."

As part of the campaign, some employees served as team captains in their respective areas on campus. Their leadership helped secure the increase in employee participation, including 122 first-time donors.

Offices and departments that had 100 percent employee participation were Alumni Services, Benefits, Campus Recreation, Civil Rights, Counseling and Student Development, Educational Leadership, Employee and Labor Relations, General Counsel, Internal Audit, Philanthropy, Payroll, Philosophy, President’s Office, Research and Sponsored Programs, Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for University Advancement and WEIU.

An additional 13 departments had more than 70 percent participation.

Overall, since its public launch in October, "EI&U: The Campaign for Eastern" has secured 92.8 percent, or $46.4 million, of the $50 million goal. It is the largest fundraising effort in EIU's history.

"EI&U: The Campaign for Eastern" focuses on four priorities: students (funding scholarships); faculty and staff (attracting and retaining world-class faculty, as well as supporting research, creative projects and service activities); capital improvements (including building a new science center, courtyard spaces and a Lantz Arena gateway); and programs (including developing centers that would focus on specific subjects, with possibilities such as autism, entrepreneurship and innovation, ethics, financial health, geographic information systems and remote sensing, humanities, student community service and wellness).