Campus & Community

University’s United Way Employee Giving 2021 Pledge Campaign Launches

Thursday, November 12, 2020, By Kevin C. Quinn

Syracuse University’s United Way Employee Giving 2021 pledge campaign has launched.

The campaign began Nov. 1 and runs through the end of December 2020. During this time, University employees are encouraged to consider making a voluntary pledge through MySlice for either a one-time donation or a regular donation through payroll deduction each pay period. For those who prefer, a paper pledge card can still be obtained by contacting campaign coordinator Maggie Ekdahl at meekdahl@syr.edu or 315.443.8052.

The United Way of CNY funds 87 different programs at 33 local agencies, and all of the funds raised stay in Central New York. For every dollar donated, an additional $3 comes back to the community in matching funds, which allows the United Way to leverage and direct these funds to address the most critical needs in our local community.

The co-chairs of this year’s University campaign are Joanna Masingila, dean of the School of Education, and Ryan Williams, vice president of enrollment services.

In addition to the co-chairs, the campaign is led by a network of team leaders from across each college and department on campus. These team leaders spread awareness of the campaign and encourage their colleagues to participate. Many departments organize their own activities to raise supplemental funds in addition to employee pledges, and then donate the proceeds from these activities to the campaign.

While typical department activities include bake sales, team games and gift basket raffles, this year’s virtual environment has required teams to be creative. In past years, SU Libraries held a huge bake sale organized by team leader Patricia Hunt that staff and students eagerly anticipated. With the pandemic this year, they have shifted focus and are now hoping to hold a virtual auction event in the coming weeks.

Employee participation in the campaign is voluntary and participating employees can select either an automatic payroll deduction or a one-time donation in any amount. University retirees are also invited to participate as many enjoy the longstanding tradition and generous spirit of this annual event.