CUNY Campaign for Voluntary Charitable Giving at Brooklyn College Begins for 2002-2003

October 30, 2002    Brooklyn College kicked off the 2002-2003 CUNY Campaign for Voluntary Charitable Giving with an appeal to the altruistic nature of the liberal arts institution.

    "The City University of New York is at the heart of things good in New York City," said Rick Schaffer, general council for CUNY and the chairperson of the CUNY Campaign at a breakfast meeting and rally. "The people who work in CUNY represent the best in New York City, they want the best for New York City, and they love New York City."

    The CUNY Campaign is a two-month effort by all nineteen CUNY campuses and the CUNY central office to raise money for charity. Last year's campaign, with its theme of "Building Communities," collected more than $370,000 in donations from the CUNY system. This year's theme, "Caring Close to Home," emphasizes the local nature of many of the nearly one thousand charitable organizations that participate in the annual donor drive.

    "These charities range across the spectrum," said Schaffer. "Education, social services, ethnic organizations, and community groups—the campaign is open to any valid, not-for-profit charity. There's not one person on this campus who will be unable to find an organization on this list that they want to help!" 

    Daniel Greenberg, '66, president of the Legal Aid Society, urged the attendees at the CUNY Campaign breakfast to work hard to collect donations. Describing his own organization, which provides free legal help to poor persons in New York, Greenberg sketched a portrait of an organization dedicated to "being a force for good in our poor clients lives."

    "Without our organization, someone would be homeless tonight because they lacked adequate legal representation to stop an eviction; a child would not be able to see a doctor, because they were disqualified from Medicare protection and had no recourse," Greenberg said. "This is not a pitch for the Legal Aid Society, but I hope it's encouragement for you to go out to solicit donations. Because every time someone asks you 'Why are you back here again?' I want you to think of that homeless person, or that sick child, and say 'I am back here because I believe in this and I will be back here again and again as long as it takes.'"

    There are hundreds of charities for children and charities devoted to finding cures for a wide range of catastrophic illnesses participating in the CUNY Campaign. Almost every ethnicity and religion is represented, and donors can even contribute to the Brooklyn College Foundation and help fund scholarships for future students of Brooklyn College. Dozens of local charities are listed, along with organizations that reach out to the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the world.

Here are a few answers to frequently asked questions about the CUNY Campaign:

What is the CUNY Campaign?

CUNY works in partnership with the United Way to increase employee consciousness of the work being done by charitable organizations and thereby increase charitable giving. This partnership allows the United Way to reach thousands of CUNY employees and inform them of the charitable organizations they represent. This partnership also allows CUNY to simplify charitable giving for its employees by using one pledge form to donate money to any of over nine hundred charities. In addition, many employees find it convenient to make donations through bi-weekly payroll deductions.

I already give to a charity. Why should I give to the CUNY Campaign?

That's great! Chances are that your favorite organization is listed in the CUNY Campaign brochure. You can continue to give to that group with the ease of payroll deduction. In addition, giving through payroll deductions ensures a steady stream of income for your favorite charity throughout the year. This enables them to plan effectively in meeting the needs of their clients.

I don't like some of the charities in the CUNY Campaign. Will my gift go to them?

No. Your gift will go only to those charities you designate to receive money. The CUNY Campaign is designed to give donors the ability to say where their money goes. If a donor does not designate a recipient for his or her gift, it will be divided among all the organizations participating in the campaign, based on the designations they receive.

What about the administrative costs? I heard they were high.

This is not the case. For payroll deductions, 100 percent of the contribution goes to the designated charity. For a one-time contribution there is a seven-cent fee on the dollar for the cost of books and pledge forms.

How do agencies get to be a part of the CUNY Campaign?

An application is held for an agency wishing to be part of the CUNY Campaign. This includes agencies that CUNY employees have requested. If you would like to see a charity added to the CUNY Campaign you can indicate it on the pledge form.

How can I be sure the charity I designated received the money?

The charity will acknowledge your gift if you check the portion of the pledge form that states"I would like the designated nonprofit organization to acknowledge my gift" and provide your address.

For more information, consult the Brooklyn College CUNY Campaign Web-site.