As I write this, we’re about a week into the State Employee Charitable Campaign. We’ve raised about $207,000 toward our goal of $550,000. I’ve watched these campaigns closely from behind the scenes for more than 10 years, back in the days when we were just getting started and wondering if we could break the $100k mark. I’ve watched the inverted bell curve of giving—good at the start, slow in the middle, a flourish at the end—repeat itself year and again.
Based on what we’ve done before, I think we’re on a good pace to make our goal in terms of dollars. That’s important; those dollars translate into a lot of important and needed services for all our communities. What I’d love to see is our participation go up. A mere four percent of us—541 employees—have ponied up a significant sum. There is power in numbers; small gifts, the cost of a few lattes or a lunch out a month, can really add up when they’re being made by thousands of people. Given how many people are on hard times these days, it feels like the right thing to do be able to help this way.
Side note: I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside many great SECC chairs. It’s a hard job that takes a lot of time. Dr. Elizabeth Protas, this year’s chair, has brought amazing energy and drive to the campaign, throwing herself into it with the passion of a rock star. Hear her message, check our progress, and see how your area is doing at www.utmb.edu/secc.