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October 4 , 2004
Goal for '05 Emory Gives campaign is $900K

BY Eric Rangus

The 2004–05 EmoryGives campaign opened Oct. 1 with lofty goals and new, convenient ways of giving.

Last year, EmoryGives raised more than $492,000 for its six charitable partners, bettering its goal by nearly $70,000. With that success in mind, this year’s goal has shot up to $900,000. The huge increase was made possible by including donations to the Nov. 6 American Heart Association Heart Walk (which brought in more than $360,000 in 2003, mostly from Emory Healthcare employees) in the EmoryGives sum.

While the standard EmoryGives forms were distributed to all employees, donations to the 2004–05 campaign, for the first time, can be made online. According to Michelle Smith, associate vice president for corporate giving, the idea of online giving was hatched several years ago, but technology and security issues didn’t catch up with the plans until this summer.

“We’ve been trying to make it easier for employees to give, and online donation is the current wave—and wave of the future,” she said. Smith gave credit to a five-person team from the Information Technology Division (ITD) for putting together the website. The team of James Goff, Francene Mangum, Kathy Moore, Byron Nash and Jim Stanhouse began work on the site in June.

Online giving is possible through the EmoryGives website at www.emorygives.emory.edu. Click on the “2005 EmoryGives Online,” and follow instructions. As with giving via paper forms, online giving can be done by payroll deduction, credit card, check or a stock gift.

Much has changed with this year’s campaign, but a lot has stayed the same as well. Kent Alexander, senior vice president and general counsel, will return as campaign chair for the second year. For the third year, EmoryGives will host a holiday shopping party at the Phipps Plaza Parisian store. Tickets for the Nov. 14 event are $5, and all proceeds will go the EmoryGives campaign.

Five of 2004’s community partners (United Way of Metro Atlanta, Community Health Charities of Georgia, Earth Share of Georgia, Georgia Black United Fund and Georgia Shares) are holdovers from previous years. A new partner for 2004 is Global Impact, which represents nearly 50 U.S.-based international development and relief charities.

“I’ve been trying to create a boutique of charity choices and Global Impact provides an international dimension,” Smith said. Charities under Global Impact’s umbrella include Doctors Without Borders USA, CARE and the Christian Children’s Fund. In all, employees can target their donations to 485 charities among Emory-Gives, six charitable partners.

Monetary contributions can be made through Dec. 31, but that doesn’t end the campaign. EmoryGives also includes a volunteer component, which ramps up each spring.

 

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