Professors Maureen Mickus, Don Cooney and Karen Lancendorfer
KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University collected the largest amount of money ever from the University community for the Greater Kalamazoo United Way, helping the GKUW exceed its fundraising campaign goal of $9.3 million by almost $200,000.
WMU collected more than $293,000, just shy of its $300,000 goal, to earn the distinction as the sixth largest donor institution in the greater Kalamazoo area.
"The highly anticipated bottom-line points to a huge success overall," says Dr. Joseph Reish, WMU United Way Campaign chair and dean of University Libraries. "The increase in human-capital involvement also was impressive: new donors numbered 4,028 and new volunteers, 1,034. The monies pledged were leveraged into an additional $7.7 million through grants and matching funds."
WMU United Way added 246 new donors and retained 75 percent of donors from last year, which was one of the highest retention rates for the GKUW. Leadership givers donating at least $1,000 remained equal to those in 2010 at 114.
Amy Seth, director of University Recreation, was singled out as an Extraordinary Leader because of her personal and professional dedication to the GKUW campaign.
According to GKUW, "Amy Seth volunteered as a campaign liaison several years ago and since that time has become one of GKUW's strongest advocates. This past year, she opened the door to student engagement for us in working to develop student fundraising activities, dialog with the Student Activities and Leadership Programs, the Western Student Association and helped make the Greg Jennings text-to-give lunch a success."
GKUW officially closed its books on the 2011 Campaign with an event at the Cityscape in downtown Kalamazoo March 22.