Gifts at Work

By Carol Olechowski

UAlbany Unite: Equation for Fundraising Success

Engage the entire University community, add an element of friendly competition among student groups, and what do you get? UAlbany Unite – and the most successful student gift campaign ever.

Rather than support one individual project, UAlbany Unite invited students from various campus organizations to submit videos documenting their groups’ work. Donations were then solicited from students’ families and friends and from alumni.

The idea behind UAlbany Unite, explained UAlbany Vice President for University Development Fardin Sanai, was to provide “a creative experience and also teach students about philanthropy firsthand.” In addition to contributing to a cause, Sanai said, students “were able to learn about the importance of supporting and promoting their organizations, as well as the University.”

Through UAlbany Unite, donations from more than 600 students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff exceeded $17,000. Sponsorships from University Auxiliary Services (UAS), the Student Association (SA), the Alumni Association, The University at Albany Foundation and The Class of 2011 Book Drive doubled that amount, raising a total of more than $35,000 for the gift. Previously, the largest class gift was the $33,000 the Class of 2009 raised to support the Richard Bailey Memorial Scholarship Fund.

During the 2011-12 academic year, participating UAlbany Unite student groups will use their funding to enhance student life on campus and further their organizations’ missions. The groups include L’Chaim, Five Quad, Middle Earth, Hillel, the University Equestrian Team, the Ski and Snowboard Club, Women’s Self Defense and Fitness (WSDF), Albany Student Television (ATV), Mixed Martial Arts, Women’s Rugby, Albany Running Exchange, Albany Business Leaders Emerging (ABLE), The Sketchy Characters, and D.R.E.A.M.org.

To view last year’s entries, donate to one of the groups, or learn more about this year’s UAlbany Unite initiative, please link to the University’s Web site at www.albany.edu/unite or visit UAlbany Unite on Facebook.

School of Business Alumni Support E&Y Initiative

Ernst & Young employees who graduated from UAlbany’s School of Business continue to support the school through the Ernst & Young Initiative. Last spring, Alex Fredericks ’95 and Anna Politano ’10, third and fourth from left, presented a check to School of Business Dean Donald Siegel, Professor and Chair of Accounting Ingrid Fisher, and Vice President for University Development Fardin Sanai. The initiative aids the school in educating a competitive workforce while enriching the student experience.