Financial incentives spark employee giving

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Each year, Western Michigan University faculty and staff support students in a myriad of ways, including giving of their time, sharing experiences, and offering words of advice and encouragement.

In addition, many employees donate to the Broncos4Broncos Campus Campaign. This giving opportunity makes the benefits of a WMU education available to all students, whether an individual's gift goes to academic support programs, international study opportunities, leadership and volunteer services, internships, or, importantly, financial aid in the form of funds and scholarships.

"We need your help again for the 2016-17 fiscal year," says Karen Pinkham, campaign co-coordinator in WMU's Office of Development and Alumni  Relations. "We're close to reaching last year's 30 percent overall participation rate. We'd love to surpass that. Have you made your gift yet?"

Campaign incentives

The 2016-17 Broncos4Broncos "For the Love of Western" annual campaign kicked off its active phase this winter. Festive events with refreshments and prize drawings were held in Heritage Hall Feb. 10 to start the campaign and May 5 to celebrate progress made during the active phase.

Thirty-two sponsors have contributed prizes for those events, plus funds to support various incentive awards for campus groups reaching participation goals by the end of the active phase April 7 and end of the campaign June 30.

The Department of Dance already has achieved 100 percent participation for the second year in a row. Other units already at 100 percent include First-Year Experience, WMUK, Disability Services for Students and the Division of Multicultural Affairs.

Incentives available this year are:

• The individual office or department with the highest percentage at the end of the active phase received $250 to donate to an area of choice. This was awarded to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which had 100 percent regular-employee participation plus another 24 percent participation from temporary and part-time employees.
• Large reporting groups surpassing their 2015-16 participation levels by the end of the campaign will receive $150 to donate to an area of choice. This has been awarded so far to the College of Aviation; Office of the President, which includes subunits such as the offices of Diversity and Inclusion, Government Affairs, and University Relations; and Academic Affairs, which includes all of academic affairs except for colleges and libraries.
• Large reporting groups reaching 100 percent participation by the end of the campaign will receive $300 to donate to an area of choice.
• The reporting group with the highest overall participation by the end of the campaign will receive $350 to donate to an area of choice.

About the campaign

Pinkham notes that donations can be made to WMU's more than 1,900 scholarships, funds and programs. All gifts are tax deductible, and 100 percent of each gift goes to its designated area.

"All gifts make a difference," Pinkham says. "Even small gifts, when multiplied by many, can make a significant impact on our campus and in the lives of our students."

Last year, students benefited from some $487,000 donated from more than 840 faculty and staff through the Broncos4Broncos "For the Love of Western" campaign.

Pua Hammer, campaign co-coordinator in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, reports that so far in this year's campaign, more than $27,000 has been donated by faculty and staff to WMU's Invisible Need Project. Hammer says many employees choose to give to the project because it provides direct support to students in emergencies through funds associated with meeting food, health care and financial needs.

She adds that the Invisible Need Project also is gaining popularity off campus, such as was seen when the Gleaton Agency/MEEMIC Insurance Co. included it as one of the funds to benefit from a Broncos4Broncos promotion it ran earlier this year.

For more information about this year's campaign, visit the Employee Giving page.

To explore a sample list designation areas, such as the Invisible Need Project, Medallion Scholarship Program and Gary Athletic Fund, go to mywmu.com/payrolldeductions. The link to the sample list is at the bottom of that page.

Direct questions to Pua Hammer at puanani.s.hammer@wmich.edu or Karen Pinkham at karen.pinkham@wmich.edu.

Learn more about the Invisible Need Project.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.