UA Cares Campaign Nets $334K for UA, Community

The 2018 UA Cares employee giving campaign raised about $334,000 for UA programs and Tucson nonprofit organizations and inspired employees to contribute nearly 8,000 volunteer hours.

The results of the campaign, which started on Oct. 1 and ran through Nov. 30, were announced at the campaign's culmination event on Friday. UA Cares, which began in 2002, benefits UA programs through the UA Foundation and local causes through United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona. UA President Robert C. Robbins was honorary chair of the campaign for the second year in a row.

Jeffrey Goldberg, interim vice president of academic affairs and provost, announced the results.

The driving question behind UA Cares is "'How do we help the UA community do everything that they possibly can for the Tucson and Southern Arizona communities?'" Goldberg said. "It's not asking people for money anymore. It's asking people, 'How can I help you do the great things that you really want to do?'"

The 2018 campaign's donations fell short of the amount raised in 2017, $396,000. The $334,000 in donations came from 554 employees, said Karla Bernal Morales, senior program coordinator in Government and Community Relations. In 2017, 736 employees donated money.

The number of volunteer hours, 8,000, was similar to 2017's 7,885 hours. UA employees also organized 20 events during the campaign, Morales said.

The number of UA Cares ambassadors, Morales said, increased to 101 over the previous year's 76. Ambassadors are employees who volunteer to organize events and promote philanthropy in their units during the campaign.

"I really enjoyed seeing the collaboration between the alumni ambassadors – the ones that have been involved in the UA Cares campaign for 10, 15 years – and the ones that just began," Morales added. "To see the collaboration and see how they worked together and helped each other out in being resources for each other's events was great."

The Friday event ended with a presentation of awards to these UA Cares ambassadors and units:

Rising Star Award, which recognizes the unit that shows the highest increase in participation, fundraising and volunteerism over the year prior – Office of University Communications

Volunteerism Star Award, for the unit that logs the most volunteer hours – Eller College of Management

Campaign Star Award, for the unit that raised the most money and had the highest participation – UA Foundation

Star Ambassador Award, for an ambassador or ambassadors who "worked tirelessly" to create fundraising events and encourage fundraising and volunteerism in their units – Natalya Williams, administrative associate in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, and Mariah Brown, senior office specialist in the Department of Management and Organizations

Legacy Award, which recognizes a unit or units for longstanding support of nonprofit organizations in Southern Arizona – Facilities Management, for its chili cook-off fundraiser, which was held for the 15th year, and the Office of Budget and Planning, which held its chorizo breakfast and drawing for the 19th year

Decade of Caring Award, for a UA Cares ambassador who has served the campaign for 10 years or more "and has gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote and support charitable giving" in their unit – Cindy McHenry, business manager in the Office of Budget and Planning, for her work coordinating the office's chorizo breakfast and drawing for 10 consecutive years

Community Champion Awards, given to longtime donors for "their significant contribution and impact to the Tucson community" – George Rieke, Regents' Professor of Astronomy, Marcia Rieke, Regents' Professor of Astronomy and associate head of the Department of Astronomy, and Edith Auslander, Arizona Assurance consultant and retired vice president and senior associate to the president