The United Way at Dartmouth College has officially kicked off its annual fundraising campaign, aimed to benefit 24 human and social service agencies in the Upper Valley.
This year the UWDC aims to raise $140,000, roughly one-fifth of the United Way of the Upper Valley's total goal of $750,050.
UWDC Campaign Co-Chair Kathie Savage said the goal is "extremely realistic and not outrageous."
But only five percent of the UWDC's goal has been raised in the first two weeks, Savage said. The campaign ends Dec. 31.
"We're off to a slow start only because we haven't finished contacting our regular donors yet," Savage said.
UWDC Campaign Co-Chair Ann Munves Malenka said the UWDC "won't turn away anyone contributing in January."
The funds raised through contributions from Dartmouth faculty, administration and students will be donated to local agencies which provide food, shelter and family counseling services to the surrounding communities.
Jack DeGange, Upper Valley campaign chair and director of Development Publications, said, "Compared to other college communities, Dartmouth is an exception in the breadth of support that it provides to the United Way."
"The College is a very critical source of support for the United Way," DeGange said.
Last year, the campaign raised $137,000, falling short of its $150,000 goal, DeGange said.
The UWDC makes contributing easy by providing the option of a payroll deduction, Malenka said. The option allows College employees to make monthly or biweekly contributions from their paychecks.
"We hope to make philanthropy affordable for those people who wouldn't be able to do it in one fell swoop," Malenka said.
The campaign also relies on student contributions, and Dartmouth is the only Ivy League school with a student campaign committee, DeGange said.
The three member student campaign committee is taking a role in motivating students to donate by planning an a cappella benefit concert and a fund-raiser to take place during the Great American Smokeout, he said.
During the Nov. 21 smoke out, the student campaign committee, composed of Allison Brown '97, Hilary Kaiser '97 and Kerry Vance '98, will ask students to contribute the money they would otherwise have spent on cigarettes that day to the UWDC.
Vance said the committee would like to increase student contributions by permitting charges from the DASH discretionary fund.
Kaiser wrote in an e-mail message that having the fund-raiser during the Smokeout "is the perfect opportunity to help someone become healthier, and at the same time raise money to be donated to worthy causes."
DeGange said he hopes to build a foundation of support for the United Way within the student body so they will continue to help similar fundraising efforts in their adulthood.
"Dollars aren't nearly as important as building long-term awareness," he said.
