Michele Brandow, administrative assistant, Foundation
Glenn Carpenter, photographer and digital asset specialist, Marketing and Communications
Jessica Crotty, assistant director of communications, Marketing and Communications
China Dostal, web services manager, Information Technology
Patti Friend, director of alumni and annual programs, Foundation
Matt Grotto, videographer and producer, Marketing and Communications
Judy Healy, director of payroll, Payroll
Kristy McGreal, executive director of the Foundation, Foundation
Lisa Rispoli, special events and donor relations manager, Foundation
Ellen Rowe, creative designer, Marketing and Communications
Assel Salem, student employee, Foundation
Karen Town, communications specialist, Marketing and Communications
Mailroom staff
Reprographics staff

“Every year, we are excited to start our Employee Giving Campaign where we challenge our colleagues to support the Foundation. This year, due to COVID-19  restrictions and so many of us working remotely, we had to take that a step further and ask many departments on campus to help us,” said Kristy McGreal. Patti Friend added, “We had to change everything to a virtual and mail-in campaign, so we wondered if we were going to receive fewer donations.”

In former campaigns, the Foundation depended heavily on coordinators from each department to encourage their coworkers to donate. “The heart of the  campaign had always been the work of our coordinators,” Friend said. “They reached out to their colleagues through email and during departmental meetings this year, but with the campus closed, they could not communicate as easily with their colleagues.” Also, without an in-person fall in-service to kick off the campaign, it was important to find additional ways to connect with employees.

The Foundation worked with a team of individuals across campus to create innovative ways to spread the word and build momentum. “We had to inspire employees to give at a time when the pandemic was hitting everyone’s personal and financial lives,” Friend said. They worked closely with the Marketing and Communications Department to develop the campaign’s theme – The Strength of Hope – and enact a communications plan to share the details of the campaign.

Friend outlined how they kept the campaign on employees’ minds. “We sent direct mail pieces to their homes. MVeNews and MVConnect became hubs of communication. Powerful videos, photos and emails told the story of our students and conveyed their strong need. Dr. Jenkins gave an inspirational appeal on video to replace the launch traditionally held at in-service,” she said.

McGreal expressed her appreciation for the team’s efforts. “We would not have made the impact we did without the support, dedication and hard work of all of the employees who helped implement employee giving this year. From shipping countless packages, creating new print and digital materials, and working with our employee giving coordinators, we counted on colleagues all over campus. We cannot express our gratitude enough for this camaraderie and support,” she said.

Donor gifts also had to be rethought. Anyone who made a donation this year received a touch tool to stay safe, and donors who contributed $250 or more got cozy socks. All of the team’s hard work paid off, as more than 75% of the full-time faculty and staff donated $85,000, making this the most successful employee giving campaign in its 10-year history.

“Every member on this team was integral to making this campaign effective,” Friend said. “We thought we might not be as successful as in past years due to converting to a virtual campaign, not knowing how the pandemic had impacted our employees and understanding that our students’ needs were higher than ever. I am so very proud to have been a part of this team. Their amazing effort made the campaign a huge success.”

Thank you to all of the Employee Giving coordinators who also helped make this year’s campaign a success.