The University of Iowa celebrated its third annual We Are Phil giving appeal for faculty and staff last week (Sept. 28–Oct. 2)—and the push to bolster private support for UI people and programs continues.
“The culture of philanthropy—or 'Phil,' as we like to call it—is growing at the University of Iowa,” says Jen Knights, assistant director of campus philanthropy for the University of Iowa Foundation. “This is a year-round effort, and we are excited to see so many people on campus embracing it.”
Last week, volunteers hosted more than 45 events across campus—ice-cream socials, trivia contests, interdepartmental challenges, scavenger hunts, and much more.
More than 100 faculty/staff We Are Phil volunteers planned the events, with the intent of building community and increasing the number of UI employees who make charitable contributions to support programs, teams, scholarships, research projects, and other endeavors at the university. At this point in the year, it is estimated that more than 1,400 UI employees are counted as donors. Final participation statistics will be tallied at the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2016). All gifts made in response to We Are Phil also count toward the $1.7-billion goal for For Iowa. Forever More.—the university’s comprehensive campaign, which has raised more than $1.5 billion to date.
Click the photos above for scenes from last week, and visit the UI Foundation website for more info about the campaign or to make a gift.
Following the weeklong faculty/staff 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, John, with his wife, Mary, has contributed millions of dollars to state, educational, and fine-arts endeavors in Iowa and beyond.
Among the Pappajohns’ many significant UI contributions are 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 the people 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.
