University Times

Pitt’s 2006 United Way fundraising campaign begins Oct. 12, and will run through Nov. 22. This year’s campaign goal is $500,000.

Last year, the University collected $515,427. Faculty and staff pledged $488,563; retirees contributed $24,640, and special events brought in $2,224. There were 2,275 donors who pledged contributions during last year’s campaign.

As in past years, donors can direct all or a portion of their donation to an unrestricted fund (called the Impact Fund) or to a specific United Way affiliated group, including 58 such eligible groups at Pitt.

Pitt’s United Way leadership team is urging participants to donate to the Impact Fund, a pool of unrestricted contributions allocated to some 70 partner agencies deemed by United Way to deliver measurable results in improving the quality of life in the county. These agencies fall into six areas: children and families; health and mental health; seniors; housing; neighborhoods, and workforce development.

Last year, 1,514 Pitt donors raised $245,561 for the Impact Fund, campaign officials reported.

“This year, in addition to raising $500,000, our goal is to increase the number of donors to the campaign. We hope that the entire Pitt community will join together to make this the best campaign ever,” said Anne Franks, Pitt’s United Way campaign manager and human relations manager in the Office of Institutional Advancement. “You can be assured that your donation will support well-run agencies that are addressing critical needs in our community. Now, more than ever, we need to work together to help each other.”

Payroll deduction and on-line pledging are available again this year. The Pitt-United Way web site address is: www.pitt.edu/~united, which provides a link for pledging as well as updates on the campaign.

New policies regarding donations this year include:

• United Way will accept credit card pledges only online.

• United Way will not accept cash donations.

• Because of processing costs, campaign officials are asking that payroll deduction pledges be a minimum of $24.

Pitt will hold prize drawings during the campaign on Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and Dec. 1. Participants who return their pledge cards to 500 Craig Hall by noon on the day of a drawing will be eligible for that drawing and future drawings. Online pledges received by the deadline are added automatically to the drawing.

Prizes include tickets to events, memberships, hotel stays and restaurant gift certificates.

The Book Center will sponsor a Hallmark boxed holiday card sale Nov. 1-Dec. 23, with all proceeds going to Pitt’s United Way campaign.

For more information, contact Jean McDonough at 4-5846.

—Peter Hart