Community Giving effort hits $1 million
For the third year in a row, the annual Vanderbilt Community Giving campaign raised more than $1 million for community agencies, surpassing the original goal of $900,000.
“Vanderbilt has a long and rich tradition of service to our community,” said C. Wright Pinson, M.D., M.B.A., associate vice chancellor for Clinical Affairs, chief medical officer, and the 2008 Community Giving Campaign Chair.
“It is remarkable this is at essentially the all-time high given the current economic circumstances. In part that is because we had more donors participate this year than ever.”
More than 4,500 donors participated throughout the University and Medical Center, contributing to four designated campaign federations representing hundreds of charitable and public service organizations at work in Middle Tennessee. Last year, the campaign raised more than $1 million from 4,466 donors.
Money raised will benefit agencies represented by Community Health Charities, the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville and Community Shares of Tennessee.
“As the campaign chair, let me add my sincere thanks to the thousands of faculty and staff who have again demonstrated our commitment to community,” Pinson said.
“Vanderbilt University and its Medical Center serve the community every day by making a difference in the lives of our patients and students. Our contribution to the Community Giving Campaign has enabled our partner federations to address the most important needs in Nashville and Middle Tennessee — needs like helping laid-off and low-income families succeed, helping to fund research for a cure for disease, providing safe havens from abuse and supporting public education.”
This year's total of $1,009,243 was the Community Giving campaign's second highest, by $5,000.
Pinson said the success of the campaign can be tied to the 450 department/area campaign coordinators, who made contact with each of Vanderbilt's nearly 20,000 employees throughout the Medical Center and University, asking each to make his or her own personal contribution either through payroll deduction, cash or check, credit card or direct bill.
Online giving was encouraged.
He also thanked the VUMC Community Giving Campaign Steering Committee, and the “excellent support” of Sandra Robinson, director of Internal Campaigns and Ann Hudson, activities coordinator for Internal Campaigns.
“They were collectively the important engine in making this campaign successful. Vanderbilt has every reason to be proud of this accomplishment,” Pinson said.