Division goes above and Beyond IT with employee fundraising
When you walk down the hallway of College Services, you will find fundraising thermometer charts, a TV screen with live streaming scholarship progress and photos from fundraising events, and a wall full of plaques commemorating fully funded endowments. The team, led by Vice Chancellor Link Alander, takes their fundraising seriously. Collectively, the Office of Technology Services (OTS) and Analytics and Institutional Reporting (AIR) employees have raised more than $289,000 for fourteen fulfilled and planned scholarship endowments and counting!
"I always highlight that it is great to work in higher education, that we have an opportunity to work in our chosen field, IT, and at the same time help students change their life. An education is a personal investment that helps our community, state and country." said Alander.
During the Foundation's annual employee fundraising campaign, the group promotes employee giving through individual donations and payroll deduction. Posted thermometers show the amounts remaining before planned OTS endowments are fulfilled and a TV screen displays participation percentages for a little friendly intradivision competition. The team regularly earns close to 100% employee participation.
Although the campaign officially runs in the fall, Alander says his team discusses giving year round with new employees and at major team meetings. OTS and AIR employees also get to read the several thank you letters from their endowed scholarship recipients every year!
OTS has named scholarships at each of the six colleges in addition to scholarships benefitting veterans and women in technology. Planned endowments will benefit students enrolled in cyber security and mobile app development among others. Endowments are a great way to give because only the interest earned from the invested funds go towards scholarships, producing scholarships in perpetuity. Endowments must reach at least $15,000 before producing a scholarship.
After wrapping up this year's "Giving Back to the Future" employee campaign in October, College Services got even closer to completing their planned endowments. College Services employees ended the campaign with 88% participation!
Not only do staff enthusiastically support the Foundation through employee giving, they also promote the Foundation's annual Drive for Scholarships golf tournament benefitting student scholarships. Several IT vendors sponsor foursomes at the tournament and Alander even started the "Beyond IT Challenge" tournament within the tournament for vendors who designate funds be directed to one of the OTS scholarships.
"I am proud to be part of a team that realizes the value of giving back, helping others and going beyond IT." said Alander.
Interested in starting an endowment? Contact LSC Foundation at foundation@lonestar.edu or call 832.813.6636.