UHV employee giving campaign breaks record for second year
The University of Houston-Victoria’s One For All, All For One employee giving campaign has record-breaking participation across the university for the second year in a row.
From Sept. 1, 2017, to Aug. 31, UHV saw 203 employees, about 48 percent of the university’s full-time employees, participate in the annual giving campaign. Through the 2017-2018 campaign, employees donated more than $54,000 to the university.
“UHV’s employees are exceptional, and I am proud to see them coming together to support their university,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “UHV’s future success depends on the dedication of its employees, and it is clear that we have a quality group.”
The campaign began in 2006 as a way to encourage employees to give back to UHV programs and initiatives. Through the campaign, donors can designate what their contributions will benefit. Options include scholarships, specific departments, lecture series or initiatives such as the new student food pantry.
Out of more than 200 contributors, 31 employees were part of the President’s Circle. These employees gave at least 1 percent of their gross annual pay to the university through the campaign. For Karen Locher, associate director of the Victoria College/UHV Library and a member of the 2018 President’s Circle, her contributions are a way to give back to her university and support current students.
“I’m a UHV alumna, so I wanted to support my university, and for years, I gave what I could when I could,” Locher said. “Now, I’m doing well enough that I can be part of the President’s Circle. In the past, I gave funds to support the library, but now I’ve started focusing more on helping students by contributing to the student food pantry.”
The JP’s Market student food pantry was one of the major contribution recipients during the 2017-2018 campaign. The pantry received support from 54 UHV employees.
During the 2018 fiscal year, employees gave to 70 areas, including scholarships, speaker series, JP’s Market, the UHV Relief Fund and departmental unit excellence funds. Many employees give to multiple areas.
The UHV Relief Fund was another area that received prominent support from UHV employees. The fund was created in fall 2017 after Hurricane Harvey struck the Crossroads, and it benefits students impacted by the storm. During the 2017-2018 campaign, employees donated more than $3,200 to the fund.
“All of this support from UHV’s employees is a clear testament to how much we believe in UHV and want to see it succeed,” said Kira Mudd, UHV director of alumni relations and annual giving, who coordinates the campaign. “It’s especially exciting because when other organizations consider giving UHV funds, they look at employee giving levels, and our high rate of support has helped the university gain contributions from outside groups.”
On Sept. 6, the university launched the 2018-2019 One For All, All For One campaign. All donations, including employee gifts, count toward the Here, We Go campaign goal of $12 million by 2020.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
