Last academic year, more than 3,100 University of Iowa faculty and staff members made charitable donations to support the university, with their contributions amounting to more than $4 million for UI programs, projects, and people. Among those donors, 362 UI employees donated to the university for the first time last year.
Ashley Funkhauser is the director of alumni relations in the UI Henry B. Tippie College of Business, and she was one of those first-time donors.
“As an Iowa grad from a family of Hawkeyes, and as a staff member, I recognize that the university has given my family so many opportunities over the years,” Funkhauser says. “And I’m grateful to the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa for taking wonderful care of my mother, so that’s where I directed my gift—in her honor.”
Now in its third year, We Are Phil will hold its annual appeal for UI faculty and staff next week, Sept. 28-Oct. 2. A contribution package will be sent via campus mail to all regular UI employees appointed half time or more, and more than 100 faculty/staff volunteers will host events within their colleges or departments to raise awareness about philanthropy, encourage colleagues to make a gift, and build a sense of community.
UI employees’ contributions to We Are Phil also help advance the UI’s comprehensive campaign, For Iowa. Forever More: The Campaign for the University of Iowa, which launched in 2013 with a goal of raising $1.7 billion by December 2016 to benefit all areas of the university, including students, faculty, programs, and facilities. So far, more than 186,000 alumni and friends have joined the campaign.
Many UI employees have started making annual gifts in response to We Are Phil. Founded in 2013, it joined UI Foundation’s existing lineup of campus philanthropy programs, which affectionately refer to philanthropy as “Phil.”
What:
The Third Annual We Are Phil Campaign
When: Sept. 28-Oct. 2
Why: Annual gifts from UI faculty and staff provide a steady stream of support to sustain innovative programs, push forward groundbreaking research, and empower students, faculty, and staff.
For more information or to make a contribution, visit the UI Foundation We Are Phil campaign website.
“We try to encourage and facilitate collaboration and communication with campus partners—including faculty, staff, and student volunteers—to help them understand the importance of private support to our university,” says Lynette Marshall, UI Foundation president and CEO.
Marshall adds that the UI has Phil’s Day in the spring, when the UI celebrates philanthropy all over campus, as well as a student philanthropy group, a development internship program, and lots of other initiatives to increasing understanding among students.
“The We Are Phil program has developed as a grass-roots effort, where every fall, faculty and staff encourage each other to ‘Be Phil’ by making a charitable donation to support whatever they love most about the UI,” Marshall says.
Eric Holthaus, UI sustainability coordinator and a We Are Phil volunteer chair for his division since the annual campaign was created, says there’s a lot to love.
“My life is better for being a part of the UI,” he says. “I give a little back every year to support things on campus that I find important, amazing, or inspiring. That’s what the We Are Phil initiative is all about.”
Joni Troester, interim assistant vice president of benefits, health, and productivity in UI Human Resources, agrees.
“No matter what the size of the gift, it’s about identifying something that you feel passionate about on campus and giving whatever makes sense for you,” says Troester.
Following up the weeklong campaign, the UI Foundation will present the first in a new series of fall lectures centered on philanthropy with inaugural guest John Pappajohn of Des Moines. The lecture will be Friday, Oct. 9, at 10:30 a.m. in the Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge.
Pappajohn is a 1952 UI graduate, and he received an honorary doctorate from the UI in 2010. A leading philanthropist and nationally celebrated entrepreneur and business leader, he and his wife, Mary, have contributed millions of dollars to state, educational, and fine-arts endeavors in Iowa and beyond.
Among the Pappajohns’ many significant UI contributions include naming gifts for the Pappajohn Business Building, the Pappajohn Pavilion at UI Hospitals and Clinics, the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and the new Pappajohn Biomedical Institute in the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building.
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information or special accommodations, contact Courtney Blind in advance at 319-467-3471 or blind@uifoundation.org.
UI employees can learn more about We Are Phil, find a fund to support, view video messages from their colleagues and peers, and tell their giving stories at www.uifoundation.org/facultystaff.
About the UI Foundation
The UI Foundation’s mission is to advance the UI and fulfill the aspirations of those it serves. The university’s dedicated contributors fund a broad array of needs, from student scholarships, breakthrough research, and life-changing health care to innovative facilities, community outreach, and global education.
The UI and UI Foundation are conducting a historic comprehensive $1.7 billion fundraising campaign, For Iowa. Forever More: The Campaign for the University of Iowa, which will secure the UI’s status as a world-class institution for future generations.
The UI Foundation is the preferred channel for private contributions that benefit all areas of the University of Iowa. For more information about the foundation and the campaign, visit the foundation website at http://www.uifoundation.org.