EmoryGives, the University’s corporate giving campaign, raised $405,674 for its charitable partners, falling just short of its goal of $425,000.

This is the first time since the mid-1990s that Emory has failed to meet is goal for charitable giving. According to Michelle Smith, director of corporate giving, this year’s numbers are more the result of a less-than-friendly economy than a lack of caring on the part of the University community.

“We made 95 percent of our goal, and that’s pretty good in this economy,” said Smith, who has directed corporate giving at Emory since 1996. “Nationwide, giving is down for a whole variety of charities. Big and small charities are seeing a reduced flow of dollars both from corporations and individuals.”

Despite missing the goal, there is quite a bit of positive news. Participation, for instance, rose above 10 percent this year. Last year, the figure was 6.9 percent. Helping a good deal was an EmoryGives-sponsored holiday party in November that drew more than 500 people to the Phipps Plaza Parisian department store for an after-hours shopping spree, with a percentage of proceeds going to the campaign.

The University’s Emory Angels (donors who gave $1,000 or more) stayed about the same; 125 people qualified, down just 11 from last year. In all 1,644 faculty and staff members donated to EmoryGives from across the University.

Employees at Oxford were particularly charitable. Oxford nearly doubled its institutional goal of $3,000 by raising $5,795. More than 21 percent of Oxford faculty and staff participated.

Also surpassing institutional goals for giving were Crawford Long ($20,600; goal: $16,000) and the Emory Children’s Center ($1,100; goal: $1,000).

The breakdown of Emory’s gifts to each of its charitable partners and their member agencies follows: United Way ($224,031), Community Health Charities of Georgia ($85,067), Earth Share of Georgia ($45,503), Georgia Shares ($33,414), Georgia Black United Fund ($11,731) and United Fund of Covington ($5,917).

“I feel really good,” Smith said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t reach our goal, but as things have settled out, I feel pretty positive. I think Emory can feel good. People here stood up and showed that they care.”

For spring semester, EmoryGives will turn its attention to the campaign’s volunteer component, which connects Emory faculty and staff to opportunities around Atlanta in which they can donate their time.

Smith said she plans to team up with campus organizations such as Employee Council to help promote the effort and will send out feelers to a variety of other campus organizations for teaming opportunities.

In March, the Emory-Gives website (www.emorygives.emory.edu) will be updated with new volunteer information.