One year after shattering the participation record for giving to the Faculty and Staff Annual Campaign, St. Thomas faculty and staff members surpassed that mark during fiscal year 2008-09. The new participation record is 40 percent.
Last year, the participation rate from faculty and staff members hit a record 37 percent. This was a significant increase over previous years’ rates, which were in the 10 to 15 percent range.
“I continue to be amazed at the generosity of the St. Thomas community,” said John Bannigan, a gift officer in the university’s Development Office. “There are examples every day of contributions that faculty and staff make. To carry it one step further and provide financial support shows the depth of our commitment to our students and co-workers.”
The participation rate for faculty and staff members reflects giving from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009. The main portion of the campaign is conducted in the spring.
The increase in participation comes at a time when many nonprofits are reporting decreases in giving. The university was able to post 13,101 donors in fiscal year 2009, an increase of just over 1,000 donors from fiscal year 2008.
“Many of my colleagues from other universities and nonprofits are lamenting decreases in their donor numbers,” Bannigan said. “St. Thomas has been able to increase not only its faculty and staff giving but also its total number of donors to the university.”
Several areas across campus achieved participation rates of 100 percent: the Business Office, Purchasing, University Relations, Alumni and Constituent Relations, and the Development Office. Other areas with high participation rates were Student Affairs at 91 percent, the School of Engineering and the School of Law at 76 percent, the Office for Mission at 70 percent, Enrollment Services and the School of Social Work at 56 percent, and the College of Applied Professional Studies and Human Resources at 50 percent.
